The National Park Service has quietly removed exhibits commemorating nine enslaved people who lived at George Washington's former home in Philadelphia. The decision comes months after a review by the Trump administration, which flagged the exhibit as "ideological" and subject to removal.
According to sources, employees of the National Park Service dismantled the exhibits on Thursday afternoon, including monitors and text displays that told the stories of the enslaved individuals and provided background on the slave trade. However, the names of the nine people etched into the wall of the building remained intact.
Michael Coard, a local attorney who spearheaded the installation of the memorial in 2010, called the removal "historically outrageous and blatantly racist." Coard's organization, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, has been reviewing its response to the decision and plans to fight it.
The exhibit was put on notice by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in May, who ordered a review of any federal display that "disparages Americans past or living." The White House flagged exhibits across the country, including 20 at Smithsonian museums, as "ideological" displays subject to removal.
The decision has sparked outrage among local officials and historians. Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration filed a lawsuit Thursday as it reviews a 2006 agreement between the city and the federal government that could require advance notice for changes to the site.
"This is an attack on American history," said Council President Kenyatta Johnson. "When we celebrate our nation's birthday, we should include all aspects of its past, including the dark legacy of slavery."
The memorial was installed 15 years ago as part of an effort to provide a more comprehensive understanding of George Washington's life and legacy in Philadelphia. Coard recalled that he had never been taught about Washington's ownership of slaves as a child and only learned about it while studying law.
"This exhibit is like an open-air library," Coard said in December. "It's here for future generations to learn from, so they won't have the gaps in history that I did."
The removal of the exhibits has raised concerns about the role of the Trump administration in shaping our national narrative and the importance of preserving historical sites. As one local official noted, "Donald Trump's approach to whitewash American history shouldn't be tolerated and will not be tolerated."
According to sources, employees of the National Park Service dismantled the exhibits on Thursday afternoon, including monitors and text displays that told the stories of the enslaved individuals and provided background on the slave trade. However, the names of the nine people etched into the wall of the building remained intact.
Michael Coard, a local attorney who spearheaded the installation of the memorial in 2010, called the removal "historically outrageous and blatantly racist." Coard's organization, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, has been reviewing its response to the decision and plans to fight it.
The exhibit was put on notice by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in May, who ordered a review of any federal display that "disparages Americans past or living." The White House flagged exhibits across the country, including 20 at Smithsonian museums, as "ideological" displays subject to removal.
The decision has sparked outrage among local officials and historians. Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration filed a lawsuit Thursday as it reviews a 2006 agreement between the city and the federal government that could require advance notice for changes to the site.
"This is an attack on American history," said Council President Kenyatta Johnson. "When we celebrate our nation's birthday, we should include all aspects of its past, including the dark legacy of slavery."
The memorial was installed 15 years ago as part of an effort to provide a more comprehensive understanding of George Washington's life and legacy in Philadelphia. Coard recalled that he had never been taught about Washington's ownership of slaves as a child and only learned about it while studying law.
"This exhibit is like an open-air library," Coard said in December. "It's here for future generations to learn from, so they won't have the gaps in history that I did."
The removal of the exhibits has raised concerns about the role of the Trump administration in shaping our national narrative and the importance of preserving historical sites. As one local official noted, "Donald Trump's approach to whitewash American history shouldn't be tolerated and will not be tolerated."
. Removing exhibits about enslaved people at George Washington's home is like erasing parts of our nation's dark past, you know? It's like they're trying to sanitise history to suit their own narrative. I get that we gotta acknowledge and learn from our mistakes, but hiding them instead of facing them head-on is just not right.
. I mean, who made the call to remove these exhibits? Was it a single person or was it a group consensus? And what about all the research and historical context that went into creating those exhibits in the first place? It's like they're just brushing everything under the rug without giving anyone a chance to have their say.
. As one local official said, it's not about whitewashing history, it's about controlling what we remember and how we remember it. That's not okay, in my opinion 
. We need more transparency, more dialogue, and more understanding when it comes to our shared history.
it's like they're trying to rewrite history, you know? I mean, I get that some stuff might be sensitive, but come on! we gotta acknowledge our past, good and bad. It's like when you look back at old family pics and see some embarrassing stuff - you can't just erase it! 
this is an attack on American history, plain and simple. the whole "ideological" thing sounds like a load of BS to me... why do they get to decide what we learn from our history? shouldn't it be up to us? 
This is so messed up! They removed exhibits that had real people's stories on them without even asking the community first 
. It's like they're trying to erase our history, you know? I don't get why they'd do this to a memorial that's already 15 years old. Can't they just leave it alone? 
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? they're removin' exhibits that tell a story, a painful one, but still part of America's past. shouldn't we learn from our mistakes instead of tryin' to erase 'em? 
the fact that they left the names of the 9 ppl intact tho is like a slap in the face 
michael coard is right though, this is historically outrageous and racist, we gotta stand up for our history 
anyone else following this story? got any thoughts? 
. it was like an open-air library for ppl to learn from... now its gone. makes u wonder what else is gettin erased from history 
.
. I mean, yeah, we all know the Founding Fathers weren't perfect, but come on, acknowledging the dark stuff is what makes us better equipped to learn from our mistakes 
. The Trump admin's review process was super sketchy too 
. As a nation, we gotta be honest about our past and all its complexities, not just whitewash it