Neal: Jackie Robinson’s legacy can’t be tainted, regardless of what the Department of Defense does

I would like to take this time to express my gratitude toward the Department of Defense for reminding us of the impact of one of our greatest Americans.

Because of the DoD’s reckless slicing and dicing of everything it deemed to fall into their diversity, equity and inclusion danger zone, webpages lauding the contributions of many who proudly fought for this country were erased.

One of those histories was of Jackie Robinson. A man who lettered in four sports at UCLA, served his country during World War II, then broke baseball’s color barrier while fighting discrimination and segregation the entire way.

Because of the DoD’s gaffe, Robinson’s legacy is back in the conversation. And just in time for the approaching baseball season. And in time for Jackie Robinson Day on April 15, when his career will be remembered across Major League Baseball.

Jackie should be celebrated with more gusto than ever this year.

The DoD has described the deletion of Robinson’s page from its website as a “mistake.” But the “mistake” went even further. Because in addition to Robinson’s page, the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and the Navajo Code Talkers from World War II also had their contributions erased as well.

Mistakes? Someone set the program to “autoerase” and then walked away from the computer, huh?

If reports are correct that employees were given one week to flag everything that could reflect diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — in their eyes, not mine — then doing so without oversight is haphazard management. That’s making things worse, not better. I’m more afraid of artificial intelligence than ever after this episode.

The bigger picture is the danger, intentional or not, of erasing history. Erasing history makes it easier to revise history. Good and bad, we should not forget what it took to get here and how it can serve us going forward.

In Robinson’s case, the DoD should lean into his accomplishments. As an athlete. As a soldier. As a human being.

Robinson — like the Tuskegee Airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and the Navajo Code Talkers — is an example of what America can be if everyone is allowed an opportunity to contribute. Robinson made it easier for those who followed him to have a major league career. And they did not have to endure what he endured to do so.

While the golden era of baseball is considered to cover the 1920s through the end of WWII, to me it came after baseball became fully integrated and the best players were allowed to participate. Thank you, Jackie, for smashing the color barrier.

If the DoD wants to only focus on his service, fine. The seminal moment for him, and for this country, came when No. 42 took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. That is undeniable. They should be proud to recognize his arrival.

Instead, Jackie Robinson, DEI?

Are you kidding me?

“There’s nothing DEI about Jackie Robinson,” Bob Kendrick, president of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, said following the controversy. “And for there to be a mistake of that nature, if that’s exactly, indeed, what it was. That’s atrocious.”

This is a good time to be thankful for the NLBM and the leadership provided by Kendrick, my colleague at the Kansas City Star in the 1990s. One of my favorite parts of visiting there was looking at the registry. Visitors from all corners of the country come to check out the exhibits.

Players throughout the league visit the museum. Dozens of Twins players through the years have headed toward the 18th and Vine district to meet Kendrick and receive a tour.

Kendrick also hosts a podcast, “Black Diamonds,” that shares stories about the Negro Leagues. Last year, MLB and the MLB Players Association donated $2 million to the museum.

History is not scrubbed at NLBM. It is injected into your veins.

And in the aftermath of the DoD’s botched attempt to scrub anything DEI-related from its website, Kendrick, in a text message last week, confirmed that a number of people made donations to the museum.

To make a point, a number of those donations were for exactly $42.

Thanks again, Department of Defense.