Philadelphia has taken the unprecedented step of filing a lawsuit against the Department of Interior in response to President Donald Trump's executive order ordering the removal of a slavery exhibit from Independence National Historical Park. The exhibit, which honors nine enslaved people owned by George Washington during the country's founding, was suddenly taken down on Thursday afternoon with no prior warning or notice to city officials.
The move comes after an executive order issued in March 2025, which instructed the review and modification of over 400 national sites' interpretive materials deemed "inappropriately disparaging" to Americans past or living. The order specifically targeted Independence Park, branding it as having a "corrosive ideology."
The exhibit's removal has sparked outrage from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who accused Trump of attempting to rewrite and whitewash American history. Shapiro warned that this move was the "wrong city," with his state learning from its painful past through exhibits like this one.
Established in 2006 with approval from both the city and National Park Service, the exhibit originally showcased all individuals who lived in the house during George Washington's tenure as president, including the nine enslaved Africans he brought. This was part of an agreement stating that "no changes or alterations shall be made" without mutual consent.
However, the exhibit was altered behind closed doors, with city officials now requesting a preliminary injunction to allow the display to remain up while their lawsuit progresses. Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson argued that altering or censoring the site undermines historical integrity and erases the experiences of the enslaved individuals it honors, instead changing only the landscape without affecting the historical record.
The case highlights concerns over censorship and the removal of history under the current administration.
The move comes after an executive order issued in March 2025, which instructed the review and modification of over 400 national sites' interpretive materials deemed "inappropriately disparaging" to Americans past or living. The order specifically targeted Independence Park, branding it as having a "corrosive ideology."
The exhibit's removal has sparked outrage from Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, who accused Trump of attempting to rewrite and whitewash American history. Shapiro warned that this move was the "wrong city," with his state learning from its painful past through exhibits like this one.
Established in 2006 with approval from both the city and National Park Service, the exhibit originally showcased all individuals who lived in the house during George Washington's tenure as president, including the nine enslaved Africans he brought. This was part of an agreement stating that "no changes or alterations shall be made" without mutual consent.
However, the exhibit was altered behind closed doors, with city officials now requesting a preliminary injunction to allow the display to remain up while their lawsuit progresses. Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson argued that altering or censoring the site undermines historical integrity and erases the experiences of the enslaved individuals it honors, instead changing only the landscape without affecting the historical record.
The case highlights concerns over censorship and the removal of history under the current administration.
It's like they're trying to erase a part of American history just because it's uncomfortable. I get that we gotta acknowledge the dark stuff, but come on! 
You can't just take something out and expect everything to be okay.
I mean, I'm all for standing up for historical integrity, but isn't this just a case of "we don't like it, so we're gonna fight"? 
It feels like they're more worried about being seen as "woke" than actually learning from the past.
The exhibit was originally designed to be inclusive and respectful, but now it's being altered behind closed doors. Talk about a case of "out of sight, out of mind"? 
It's like they're trying to sneak this one by everyone.
Otherwise, we're gonna be stuck in some kind of alternate reality where the past is whatever the majority wants it to be... 
It seems like they're trying to rewrite the past, and that's just not cool. Philly is already a city with so much rich history, and now they're just gonna mess with it for some perceived "sensitivity"? 
It's all about finding that balance between being respectful of our past and not erasing important parts of history.
Newsflash: American history is messy, complicated, and not always pretty. By erasing the past, we're basically saying that certain chapters of our country's story are too painful to confront. I get why the gov is trying to avoid controversy, but this feels like a watered-down version of history. What about the actual people who lived through slavery? Don't their stories deserve to be told?! This whole thing has me shook 
. Philly's being super touchy about their exhibit, but honestly, it's just a house with some old artifacts. They're making a big deal out of nothin' 
. And what's next? Are they gonna take down the Liberty Bell too because it's "inappropriately disparaging" to some people's feelings? 
Come on, people! Get over yourselves! 
... I mean, can you imagine what it would be like if we erased parts of our own history? Like, what if we took down all the monuments that honor our founding fathers or the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement? It's crazy! But at the same time, I get why Philly is fighting back 
. They're not trying to rewrite history, they just want to preserve it accurately 
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. He's showing us that we need to have open conversations about how we present our past to ourselves and each other. And who knows, maybe this whole thing will lead to a bigger conversation about what it means to be American 
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. We just need to keep exploring, learning, and honoring each other's experiences 
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will he take down all the statues of his ancestors too? 
no way, joe 
and philadelphia city council president kenyatta johnson is speaking truth to power 
WHY DO WE NEED TO COVER THAT UP?!?! IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE OUR PAST BUT RATHER HELP US LEARN FROM IT!!!
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The fact that we even need to have a lawsuit about it just shows how messed up our history is. I mean, George Washington owning slaves is not something to be proud of, but come on... let's not rewrite history like that 
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. Like, can't we just leave history as is? We're talking about a real-life exhibit that honors nine enslaved people who were actually held captive by George Washington 
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. It'll be interesting to see how this case unfolds in court and what kind of precedent it sets for future exhibits. The fact that they're pushing back like this suggests there are a lot of people invested in preserving America's history, even if it's uncomfortable or contentious 
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. those 9 ppl at independence national historical park deserve our respect and recognition. changing or erasing history is like trying to delete ur own browser history - it don't work that way! 
. censorship is like, super bad news, and trump's just making it worse with all these changes to historical sites... what's next?! 
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