The Feds Are Purging Important Arizona History. Here’s Why.

Is Arizona's history being erased in the name of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)?

"History is written by the victors." -Winston Churchill

DEI has been a controversial concept in America, and the fallout is affecting Arizona.

Some believe it's just the latest rebranding of affirmative action, a new push for political correctness. They see it as intentional racism and a way for so-called unqualified individuals to rise to the top, not on their merit, but because they check an arbitrary box.

For others, DEI is a long overdue leveling of the playing field, a way to incorporate marginalized individuals' accomplishments and voices into the mainstream.

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They see it as a way to bring unique perspectives and creative ideas to a table that would otherwise exclude them based on race, gender or other factors.

Why Arizona's VA Removed Any Trace of Native Tribes

Affecting Arizona: Removing DEI-Based Information from Government Websites

"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -George Orwell in 1984

It's been widely reported that the new federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) program has set its sights on DEI programs.

Not only is DOGE removing federal jobs slotted as DEI-hires, but the agency is deleting and removing websites and entries on government sites they deem "DEI-related."

Dystopian novels like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World and George Orwell's 1984 were cautionary tales published in the last century that cover aspects of this new reality.

These tomes are narratives on what not to do in society. Apparently, the government library system must have refiled these books under "SELF HELP FOR AN AILING NATION" because they seem like they're being used as guidebooks or how-to manuals.

Revoking DEI or Removing Arizona History

"That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history." -Aldous Huxley

An essential part of Arizona's heritage is being stricken from the record under the guise of removing DEI from websites.

Surprisingly, Arizona Has More of THIS than Anywhere Else

DOGE has demanded that organizations that receive federal funding, like the University of Arizona, remove DEI language from their public-facing websites.

• The University of Arizona's Land Acknowledgement: To align with federal compliance, the University of Arizona removed the phrase "committed to diversity and inclusion" from its land acknowledgment statement. Critics say the change lacks transparency and consideration for Indigenous communities.

• Navajo Code Talkers: One of the deepest blows by DOGE is the federal government's removal of web pages dedicated to the Navajo Code Talkers from military websites - a significant blow to the Indigenous communities that were integral in assuring the Allied victory in World War II.

Whether you think removing DEI language and programs is a good idea or a bad one for our country, consider reading one of the classics in dystopian literature and make up your mind. Let's reshelve Orwell and Huxley under Fiction once more.

Read them before they, too, are deleted from the bookshelves of history.

Sources: Tucson Sentinel | KTAR | AZ Central | CIA.gov | University of Arizona