The day before President Donald Trump was to give his first State of the Union address in 2020, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) put out a statement that began, "Dr. Maya Angelou famously once said, 'When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
The following day, President Donald Trump invited retired Col. Charles E. McGee, a Tuskegee airman, into the Oval Office at the White House and promoted him to brigadier general.
Following his promotion, McGee attended the State of the Union as a guest and was recognized by Trump. "General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir," Trump said.
Now, a little less than five years later, Sewell is feigning outrage over videos currently under review while a search of the U.S. Air Force website shows that 3,663 references to the Tuskegee airman remain. Those search results include a video honoring McGee's life upon his passing and a video created during Trump's first term honoring him and the Tuskegee airman he served with.
The Air Force Times reports that an Air Force official said, "the videos themselves were not targeted for removal, but BMT classes that include diversity materials were pulled and are now under review to make sure they are in compliance with this week's executive orders."
"The Department of the Air Force will fully execute and implement all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued by the President, ensuring that they are carried out with utmost professionalism, efficiency and in alignment with national security objectives," an Air Force spokesperson said reportedly told the Air Force Times an email.
In a statement, Sewell made assumptions not based on evidence or facts of what is happening at the Air Force, saying, "The Tuskegee Airmen bravely fought and died for our freedoms before this nation even granted them the full benefits of citizenship. To strip them from the Air Force curriculum is an outrageous betrayal of our values as Americans. Their heroism is not 'DEI.' It is American history.
"I'm calling on the Air Force to immediately reverse this decision. We will not let our history be erased."
Ironically, Sewell's statement before Trump's 2020 State of the Union ended with a challenge that included a call for Trump to "Work across the aisle to achieve real, positive changes" and "unify the American people."
Apryl Marie Fogel is a Birmingham resident who frequently appears on and guest hosts radio programs around the state. She can be reached at aprylmarie.fogel@1819news.com or on X and Facebook at @aprylmarie.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
