The City of Philadelphia is fighting to preserve a slavery exhibit at Independence National Historic Park, which has been the subject of a months-long legal battle with the Trump administration. The exhibit, located at the President’s House, honors the lives of nine men and women enslaved by George Washington in one of the homes he resided in while president.

Background of the Dispute

The dispute began when the Trump administration, as part of its effort to remove content from cultural institutions that it deemed to be disparaging to Americans, targeted the exhibit for change. In January, work crews dismantled large display panels at the site, prompting the City of Philadelphia to sue to stop the federal government from altering the exhibit.

A US District Court judge initially ruled in favor of the city, stating that the federal government did not have the power to disassemble historical truths. However, the Trump administration appealed, and the restoration of the original exhibit was halted. The Department of Interior later proposed a new exhibit that focuses less on slavery than the original.

Recent Developments

On June 18, a panel of three judges unanimously sided with the Department of Interior, reversing the earlier ruling in favor of the city. The new exhibit has been criticized by advocates for the original exhibit, who argue that it whitewashes the horrors of slavery and softens George Washington’s views on the institution.

Despite the ruling, the City of Philadelphia has vowed to continue fighting to preserve the original exhibit. Mayor Cherelle Parker has pledged to pursue every legal action possible to reverse the decision, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has expressed his support for the city’s efforts.

Local residents and volunteers have also taken it upon themselves to share the story of the slavery exhibit with tourists visiting the site. They have been reading aloud from binders containing the text of the original missing panels, ensuring that the history of slavery is not forgotten.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.