Harriet Tubman was erased from a government website — then restored after outrage

For a brief — and deeply unsettling — moment, the National Park Service’s official website treated Harriet Tubman like a footnote.

Earlier this year, a major section on the Underground Railroad was quietly edited to remove a large portrait of Tubman and her bold quote about being a conductor. In her place? A collection of postage stamps showing “Black/white cooperation.” References to slavery were dialed down, and new text emphasized how the Railroad “bridged... divides” and embodied the ideals of liberty and freedom.

But liberty for who? That retelling raised serious red flags. The Underground Railroad wasn’t a kumbaya moment — it was an act of rebellion. A network of people, many risking their lives, helping enslaved Black folks escape the violent grip of a country that called itself “free.” And Harriet Tubman wasn’t just helping. She was the mission.

The edits sparked instant backlash from historians, advocates and cultural watchdogs like the National Parks Conservation Association. As The New York Times reported on Tuesday (April 8), the National Park Service backpedaled hard. The original version of the page — with Tubman’s image, quote and full presence — was restored.

“Changes to the Underground Railroad page on the National Park Service's website were made without approval from NPS leadership nor Department leadership,” NPS spokesperson Rachel Pawlitz told Axios. “The webpage was immediately restored to its original content.”

Trump’s executive order and the federal rollback of Black history and DEI

The Tubman takedown wasn't an isolated incident. It’s part of a larger wave of edits and removals tied to President Trump’s executive order eliminating federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Since the order, government agencies have systematically scrubbed or rewritten content that highlights the contributions of people of color.

The Department of Defense recently removed (and then restored) an article honoring Jackie Robinson’s military service. Almost 400 books, including one about Trayvon Martin and Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Cage Bird Sings, were removed from the U.S. Naval Academy library. It’s a digital purge that threatens to erase the stories of marginalized communities who fought — sometimes literally — for the country that once denied them basic rights.

Trump’s camp has painted these stories as part of a “revisionist movement” that must be stopped. His “restoring truth” agenda now centers civil rights history around perceived “anti-white racism,” while advocating for the return of Confederate monuments removed after George Floyd’s murder. The message is loud: Dismantle DEI and replace it with sanitized narratives.

Why the erasure of Harriet Tubman and other Black figures matters

This really isn’t just about one webpage. It’s about who controls the narrative. Harriet Tubman was a revolutionary leader, a freedom fighter and woman who led dozens of enslaved Black people to safety, even when the cost could’ve been her life.

To remove her photo, her words and the mention of slavery from a page about the Underground Railroad is more than an oversight — it’s an intentional reframing. It’s part of a larger strategy to make America’s racial history easier to digest for those who don’t want to face its harder truths.