Medgar Evers — who served with the U.S. Army in World War II before coming home to fight segregation in the civil rights movement — is among notable Black, Hispanic American and women veterans that have seen their histories wiped from sections on the Arlington National Cemetery’s website.
Evers was previously featured on the website’s list of Notable African American Graves — a page that no longer exists.
The section, along with ones devoted to women and Hispanic Americans, was purged from the site following President Donald Trump’s executive orders against diversity, equity and inclusion.
Evers and other service members in such sections are still on the website, an Arlington National Cemetery spokesperson told HuffPost, noting that their stories have been moved to “different categories that aligned with their service contributions.”
The spokesperson added that information on Evers is still available on the website under the broader Notable Graves category.
Some links to pages can be found via search and alternative means despite not prominently being on the site, The Washington Post noted.
The website’s changes were first reported by Civil War historian Kevin M. Levin, as well as Task & Purpose.
Trump, in remarks at the opening of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum in 2017, praised Evers as a “great American hero,” Mississippi Today’s Jerry Mitchell reported Monday.
“In Arlington, he lies beside men and women of all races, backgrounds, and walks of life who have served and sacrificed for our country,” Trump said of Evers, whose story is covered by the museum, at the time.
“Their headstones do not mark the color of their skin, but immortalize the courage of their deeds.”
Former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson, who showed the president around the museum during his visit, told Mississippi Today that the removal has “got to be a mistake.”
“That involves a great American who served in the military and was one of the most courageous Americans of all time,” said Anderson of Evers, who fought in Normandy and later challenged the segregation of the University of Mississippi.
Evers, who also championed voting rights for Black Americans and fought to end segregation in public facilities, was assassinated by a Ku Klux Klan member in 1963.
Evers was posthumously awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom last year.
The U.S. Army confirmed the removals of sections on the cemetery’s website to Mississippi Today, noting that those once in sections on Black, Hispanic and women’s history can now be seen in broader sections on “Prominent Military Figures” or those on accomplishments in “Science, Technology & Engineering.”
Levin, who brings teachers to visit Evers’ grave at Arlington each summer, told the newspaper that it’s “impossible” to discuss the civil rights icon’s accomplishments without bringing up his military service.
“There’s a straight line from his service to trying to expand voting rights and desegregate the University of Mississippi law school,” he said.
“Any attempt to minimize this history is being incredibly dishonest.”
This article has been updated to more accurately reflect the changes on Arlington National Cemetery’s website.