The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to visit the White House on April 7 to celebrate their 2024 World Series championship, but it comes as the Trump Administration continues to target the legacy of franchise legend Jackie Robinson.
Robinson, who served in the United States Army during World War II as a second lieutenant in the 761st Tank Battalion, went on to break MLB’s color barrier as the first Black player in 1947. Robinson contributed significantly to the civil rights movement, and his influence is celebrated across baseball every year on April 15.
A story on Robinson’s military service was removed by the Department of Defense in the middle of March as part of President Donald Trump’s war against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), though it was restored after significant public backlash.
But those efforts from the Trump administration have continued with an order of the Naval Academy to identify books in their library with DEI-related themes, according to the New York Times:
And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office has ordered the Naval Academy to identify books related to so-called diversity, equity and inclusion themes that are housed in the school’s Nimitz Library, and to remove them from circulation.
As part of their efforts to follow orders from the Trump Administration, a Robinson biography is among the many books flagged for removal:
Thus far, the review of Nimitz Library’s holdings has identified 900 books that may run afoul of the defense secretary’s verbal order. According to a second defense official, they include “The Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr.,” “Einstein on Race and Racism,” and a biography on Jackie Robinson.
It’s unclear when the Naval Academy and Trump Administration will follow through with their plans to remove Robinson’s biography and other material, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to visit on Tuesday.
The U.S. Naval Academy, located in Maryland, is part of the Naval University System and is the second-oldest of five U.S. service academies.
In September 1973, their library facility was completed and named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. It now has roughly 590,000 books, 322 databases and more than 5,000 journals and magazines.
Dodgers players in support of White House visit
The Dodgers’ decision to accept an invitation from President Trump has sparked plenty of criticism and discourse due to the administration’s divisive policies.
However, team president and CEO Stan Kasten said Dodgers players were in agreement with deciding to visit the White House.
While Kasten suggested the Dodgers clubhouse reached a unanimous decision on accepting President Trumps’ invitation, Mookie Betts publicly indicated he had not made a decision on whether or not he would accompany his teammates.
Betts said he planned to discuss the matter with his family.
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