The National Park Service has replaced panels at the President’s House exhibit in Philadelphia, a site where George Washington lived and enslaved nine individuals during his presidency, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from historical advocates.
The Interior Department, which oversees the National Park Service, stated that the new panels provide "historical context" and "acknowledge the evils of slavery," including its "injustices and hypocrisies." The department also said the panels tell the stories of the nine enslaved individuals, "remind[ing] us of their essential humanity."
However, the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), a group instrumental in establishing the original slavery memorial, contends that the new language minimizes the brutality of slavery and Washington's involvement. Michael Coard, founder of ATAC, described the new panels as "mythological" and asserted that they do not present "the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
"What Trump wants to do, and plans to do, is to literally whitewash and censor the site," Coard previously told ABC News, citing language in previous iterations of proposed panels that he felt downplayed the severity of slavery under Washington.
The replacement of the panels occurred overnight, following a federal appeals court ruling that permitted the National Park Service to replace the exhibit while a lawsuit filed by the city of Philadelphia remains pending. The city is seeking to reinstate the original slavery memorial.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker criticized the timing of the panel replacement, stating in a social media post, "Overnight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed panels at the President’s House that told a thorough history of Philadelphia... But the fight is not over, as we will continue the fight."
The city intends to request a rehearing of its case before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
According to a spokesperson for the Interior Department, the panel replacement complies with a March executive order from President Donald Trump titled "Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History." This order called for the removal of "negative" and "divisive" materials from national parks and content that "disparages" Americans.