Erasing History: Why It Happens and Why It Matters

What Is Historical Erasure?

Historical erasure is the act of removing, downplaying, or rewriting parts of history — especially those involving marginalized communities — to serve a particular narrative. It can be intentional (such as censorship) or unintentional (due to bias or neglect). The consequences are serious: it distorts our understanding of the past, reinforces systemic inequalities, and weakens democracy by preventing accountability.

This isn’t just about distant history — it’s happening right now. From school curriculum battles to government orders scrubbing mentions of diversity, historical erasure is an ongoing fight over what stories get told and who gets remembered.

Examples of Historical Erasure in the U.S.

• Indigenous History: Native civilizations were thriving long before European colonization, but textbooks often present America as “discovered” by settlers. Government-run boarding schools worked to erase Indigenous languages and cultures.
• Black History: The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, where a prosperous Black neighborhood was destroyed by white mobs, was omitted from history books for decades. Some textbooks still downplay slavery, referring to enslaved people as “workers” or “servants.”
• Women’s Contributions: Many women in science, politics, and activism had their achievements erased or credited to men. Women’s roles in civil rights movements have often been overshadowed.
• LGBTQ+ History: Until recently, schools barely mentioned LGBTQ+ people, creating the false perception that they only “emerged” in modern times. Many historical figures had their identities erased or straight-washed.

Why Erasure Happens

1. To Preserve Power: The dominant group controls narratives that reinforce their position.
2. To Avoid Accountability: Governments and institutions erase uncomfortable truths to escape responsibility.
3. To Push Political Agendas: Erasing or distorting history can shape public perception and justify current policies.
4. Backlash to Social Progress: After periods of progress, there’s often an effort to reverse those gains — like the recent push to remove diversity-related content from U.S. military websites.

The Consequences of Erasing History

• Perpetuates Ignorance: Without full historical knowledge, people misunderstand current issues and social conflicts.
• Reinforces Inequality: When contributions from marginalized groups are erased, it justifies their continued marginalization.
• Repeats Past Mistakes: If we don’t acknowledge history’s injustices, we risk repeating them.
• Undermines Democracy: Controlling history limits informed public discourse and policymaking.

Erasure in Action: Recent Events and Broader Patterns

Historical erasure isn’t just a thing of the past — it’s happening right now.

1. The Military’s Scrubbing of Diversity-Related Content

In early 2025, the Pentagon ordered the removal of all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content from U.S. military websites. Stories highlighting women and minority achievements, cultural heritage, and progress in military diversity were either deleted or archived.

This wasn’t an isolated decision — it followed an executive order ending DEI programs across the federal government. The message was clear: erase public acknowledgment of diversity in favor of a more “neutral” (but really, exclusionary) narrative.

This fits a broader historical pattern:

• After Reconstruction, white-led governments rewrote Civil War history to glorify the Confederacy and downplay slavery (the “Lost Cause” myth).
• During the Civil Rights era, some states censored history textbooks to remove references to racial injustice.
• Today, certain politicians are banning books and curriculum content about racism, LGBTQ+ history, and gender studies in schools.

In all these cases, those in power framed diversity-focused history as “divisive” or “unnecessary” to justify its erasure.

2. Book Bans and Curriculum Restrictions

Since 2021, 44 states have considered or passed laws restricting how schools teach race, gender, and LGBTQ+ topics. Some laws forbid teachers from discussing systemic racism or gender identity, effectively silencing entire groups from history.

This mirrors past efforts to erase difficult truths:

• Many Southern states removed slavery discussions from textbooks in the early 1900s to protect white students from feeling “guilt.”
• LGBTQ+ figures were erased from history books until the 21st century, leaving queer students with no historical role models.

When we erase these histories, we tell marginalized communities that their stories don’t matter — which makes it easier to justify inequality today.

3. Rewriting History for Political Gain

Many leaders intentionally distort history to shape public opinion.

• In Texas, 2015, a textbook described enslaved Africans as “workers” instead of victims of forced labor.
• In Florida, 2023, a new curriculum falsely claimed that slaves “benefited” from slavery by learning useful skills.

These aren’t accidents — they’re deliberate attempts to sanitize history and avoid uncomfortable truths.

Now, the same logic is being used to scrub diversity-related content from military websites:

• The claim? That DEI is a “distraction” from military readiness.
• The reality? It’s a way to erase the contributions of service members who fought for inclusion.

When history is erased, the struggle for justice is erased with it.

How to Recognize and Counter Historical Erasure

Here’s how we can fight back:

1. Question the Narrative

• Who is missing from the history you were taught?
• Are historical injustices presented as isolated incidents, or part of a larger system?

2. Seek Diverse Sources

• Read books by Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ+, and feminist historians.
• Watch documentaries that tell erased stories (like 13th or Crip Camp).

3. Advocate for Inclusive Education

• Support school policies that teach a full version of history.
• Speak out against book bans and history censorship.

4. Preserve and Share Stories

• Record oral histories from elders in your community.
• Support museums and archives preserving marginalized histories.

5. Call Out Misinformation

• If someone repeats a distorted history (e.g., “slavery wasn’t that bad”), challenge it with facts.
• When public institutions remove diversity-focused content, demand transparency — as people did when the Army’s Women’s History website was taken down.

6. Support Truth and Reconciliation Efforts

• Push for formal acknowledgments of past injustices (like reparations for slavery or Indigenous land rights).
• Encourage historical markers and memorials for underrepresented events.

Why This Matters

Erasure isn’t just about the past — it affects the present.

When we erase history, we make it easier to repeat injustices. If you erase slavery, you erase the need for racial justice. If you erase women’s contributions, you justify keeping them out of power. If you erase LGBTQ+ history, you make discrimination seem normal.

This is why the fight against historical erasure is really a fight for truth, justice, and accountability.

The good news? History fights back.

People are challenging book bans, restoring erased narratives, and demanding full, inclusive history. Truth has a way of resurfacing — but only if we keep telling it.

Let’s make sure history reflects all voices, not just those in power.

Conclusion

In summary, the removal of diversity-related military content is part of a broader historical pattern where progress toward acknowledging a fuller history meets resistance from those uncomfortable with that progress. It’s comparable to earlier efforts to censor or rewrite history for political ends. The fact that it’s happening in real time — with memos and web scrubs — shows that historical erasure is not just a relic of the past, but an ever-present risk. Each generation must contend with questions like: Whose stories do we tell? Whose do we silence? The answers often depend on who has power. The encouraging aspect is that today, with rapid communications, these erasures are quickly noticed and criticized (for example, lawmakers and the public quickly challenged the Pentagon on scrubbing diversity content​ (see here: military.com). Shining a light on the attempted erasure is the first step to countering it.