Merit and competence are exactly why we teach about the Tuskegee Airmen

To the editor: If President Trump wants to replace initiatives for diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, with personnel policies based on merit , he must bring merit to light. Where merit is obscured by prejudice, he must remove prejudice. A powerful tool for removing prejudice and revealing merit is history.

For example, when we learn that the Tuskegee Airmen were not only highly effective escorts for American bombers during World War II but also became the preferred escorts, we are less likely to let skin color blind us to excellence. What tools does the president have in mind to ensure that merit is recognized? Mary Bomba, Los Angeles.