Whitewashing in Real Time from Harriet Tubman to Target Stores

By Stacy M. Brown

The U.S. National Park Service has now appeared to restore its original webpage on the history of the Underground Railroad after it was met with backlash for deleting a prominently featured photo of abolitionist and women’s suffragist Harriet Tubman, as well as segments of text describing the horrors of slavery. 

Part of the restored text describes the 18th- and 19th-century Underground Railroad as “efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage.” Tubman was one of the system’s best-known “conductors.”

Previously, the photo and language were replaced with images of postage stamps and a reworded introduction that refers to the Underground Railroad as “one of the most significant expressions of the American civil rights movement” that “bridged the divides of race.” 

“Now the page emphasizes what it describes as ‘Black/White Cooperation,’” one social media user wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on April 7. “DISGUSTING.”

The change followed an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last month directing the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate “divisive narratives.” A review by The Washington Post found that since Trump’s return to office, dozens of webpages across the National Park Service have been edited to soften or eliminate references to slavery, racial injustice, and the historical struggles of African Americans.

On the website for the Stone National Historic Site in Maryland, mentions of Declaration of Independence signer Thomas Stone owning enslaved people were removed. Elsewhere, references to “enslaved African Americans” were changed to “enslaved workers.” A page exploring Benjamin Franklin’s views on slavery and his slave ownership was taken offline.

The Defense Department also removed several webpages related to diversity and minority contributions to the U.S. military, including a tribute to Jackie Robinson’s Army service and content honoring the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Marines at Iwo Jima. Officials later said some content would be republished after public outcry.

Nearly 400 books were removed from the library at the U.S. Naval Academy. The list includes Maya Angelou’s works “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” “Memorializing the Holocaust,” “Half American,” and “Pursuing Trayvon Martin.” 

Officials cited Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to eliminate books that promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); however, many activists and U.S. citizens have said the decision to ban certain books is shameful.

“The U.S. Naval Academy is a disgrace,” a social media user wrote on X. “It doesn’t get more unAmerican than this. Shame on you.”

Companies Roll Back DEI Language, Initiatives 

Private companies contracting with the federal government have begun rolling back diversity language and initiatives in response to federal pressure. 

UnitedHealth Group removed DEI language from its website. 

Goldman Sachs dropped its diversity requirement for companies it takes public and revised annual filings to reflect “developments in the law.” 

Bank of America replaced the term “diversity” with “talent” and “opportunity.” 

Deloitte instructed U.S.-based employees working with federal clients to remove pronouns from email signatures.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Disney, Paramount, JPMorgan Chase, Victoria’s Secret, and others have renamed or eliminated DEI programs. Some, like Paramount, cited the need to comply with Trump’s executive orders.

Target has faced financial and reputational fallout following its reversal of DEI commitments. The company has lost over $12.4 billion in revenue and faces multiple lawsuits related to its shifting policies. 

The Rev. Jamal Bryant launched a national “Target Fast,” urging community mobilization. 

Separately, the NAACP and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) initiated public education and selective buying campaigns to increase pressure on the retail giant.

“Black consumers helped build Target into a retail giant, and now they are making their voices heard,” said Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “If corporations believe they can roll back diversity commitments without consequence, they are mistaken.”

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