"Tracing America's Troubled Past: NPS Rips Down Slavery Exhibit at President's House"
A historic exhibit honoring nine enslaved individuals who lived at George Washington's Philadelphia home has been unceremoniously dismantled by the National Park Service, in a move that has sparked outrage from civil rights advocates and historians.
On Thursday afternoon, employees of the National Park Service removed exhibits that told the stories of the enslaved people and provided context on the transatlantic slave trade. The displays were taken down without warning or explanation, leaving behind only the names of the nine individuals etched into the wall of the building.
"This historically outrageous and blatantly racist destruction began at around 3:30 p.m. today," declared Michael Coard, a prominent civil rights attorney who spearheaded the installation of the memorial in 2010. The exhibit's removal is the latest casualty of a review ordered by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, which aimed to identify any federal displays deemed "ideological" and potentially disreputable.
Critics argue that the move represents a brazen attempt to erase a painful chapter from American history – one in which George Washington, the nation's first president, owned slaves at his Philadelphia home. The exhibit was seen as an important reminder of this dark legacy, providing context to visitors on the horrors of slavery and its enduring impact.
"This is not just about George Washington's past, it's about America's past," said Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who had previously condemned Donald Trump's attacks on historical sites. "When we celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, that history should be part of the record as well."
As controversy swirls around the exhibit's removal, Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration has filed a lawsuit to review a 2006 agreement between the city and federal government that could require advance notice for changes to the site.
Coard's organization, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, is also reviewing its response to the move, vowing to fight the decision. "This thing is here, so children five, ten, twenty years from now won't have the gaps in history that I had from not knowing," he recalled during a December celebration marking the 15th anniversary of the memorial.
The exhibit's removal marks a disturbing chapter in America's ongoing struggle with its troubled past – one that threatens to erase painful memories and obscure the nation's darkest chapters.
A historic exhibit honoring nine enslaved individuals who lived at George Washington's Philadelphia home has been unceremoniously dismantled by the National Park Service, in a move that has sparked outrage from civil rights advocates and historians.
On Thursday afternoon, employees of the National Park Service removed exhibits that told the stories of the enslaved people and provided context on the transatlantic slave trade. The displays were taken down without warning or explanation, leaving behind only the names of the nine individuals etched into the wall of the building.
"This historically outrageous and blatantly racist destruction began at around 3:30 p.m. today," declared Michael Coard, a prominent civil rights attorney who spearheaded the installation of the memorial in 2010. The exhibit's removal is the latest casualty of a review ordered by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, which aimed to identify any federal displays deemed "ideological" and potentially disreputable.
Critics argue that the move represents a brazen attempt to erase a painful chapter from American history – one in which George Washington, the nation's first president, owned slaves at his Philadelphia home. The exhibit was seen as an important reminder of this dark legacy, providing context to visitors on the horrors of slavery and its enduring impact.
"This is not just about George Washington's past, it's about America's past," said Council President Kenyatta Johnson, who had previously condemned Donald Trump's attacks on historical sites. "When we celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, that history should be part of the record as well."
As controversy swirls around the exhibit's removal, Mayor Cherelle Parker's administration has filed a lawsuit to review a 2006 agreement between the city and federal government that could require advance notice for changes to the site.
Coard's organization, Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, is also reviewing its response to the move, vowing to fight the decision. "This thing is here, so children five, ten, twenty years from now won't have the gaps in history that I had from not knowing," he recalled during a December celebration marking the 15th anniversary of the memorial.
The exhibit's removal marks a disturbing chapter in America's ongoing struggle with its troubled past – one that threatens to erase painful memories and obscure the nation's darkest chapters.
. Removing an exhibit that told the stories of enslaved individuals is like erasing a part of history. It's not just about George Washington's past, it's about America's past and the pain that comes with it 
. I think we need to be honest with ourselves about our country's flaws and work towards healing instead of trying to cover them up 
. The fact that some people are trying to erase this chapter from history is just worrying 
. What's next, removing exhibits about the civil rights movement or World War II? We can't just move on from these dark periods without acknowledging what happened and how we're still dealing with the aftermath today 
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. I mean, come on, can't we just acknowledge our dark past for once? It's not like we're gonna start building a wall around the exhibits... unless it's to keep people from erasing history, then that's a different story 
. Seriously though, it's like, we gotta learn from our mistakes and have an open conversation about 'em. Erasing the past is just gonna make us repeat it. 
. i mean, george washington was a slave owner, that's not something to be ashamed of, but it is something worth acknowledging and learning from. instead, they're erasing it all because some people think it's "ideological" 
. newsflash: history is complex, it's messy, and sometimes uncomfortable. we should be trying to learn from the past, not erase it 
. this is so not what america is supposed to be about 
? Or erasing the part about segregation and racism in the 60s? It's like they're trying to rewrite history... and it's super frustrating because we need to learn from our mistakes, you know? 
I mean, I get that some people might be offended by it, but come on, it's a part of our country's past that we can't just ignore. The government should've been more careful about how they handled this. It's like they're trying to sweep the past under the rug 
. This is a huge mistake and I'm worried about what might happen next... 
this is totally whack! they cant just rip down a exhibit about slavery 
its like they forget what america is all about 
250 yrs old & still havin slavery 
and the ppl who fought for equality 
council president kenyatta johnson is totally right 
this history needs to be part of our record 
so we can learn from it 
and move forward without repeatin mistakes 
We need to remember where we came from and learn from our mistakes, not try to cover them up. 
. I mean, what's next? Erasin' our country's flaws? That's just gonna lead to more problems down the line... 
. I'm talking about the exhibit that showed 9 enslaved people who lived there - it was like they're trying to wipe out part of our history 
. America's got a lot of issues with its past, but this is just plain stupid 
. If we can't even talk about slavery and racism, how are we gonna learn from our mistakes? It's like we're trying to forget that we own the country where so many people suffered 
i mean, i know some people think it's uncomfortable or whatever but shouldn't that be the point? to make us uncomfortable and think about how we're living today?
. This move seems like a misguided attempt to sanitize America's history, rather than confronting it head-on 
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as if erasing our history from the record is a good thing... we gotta call out the government for this nonsense and make sure these exhibits stay up where they belong! 
Interesting how they're just ripping out history like that no notice or explanation just taking down exhibits that gave voice to the enslaved ppl 
it's like trying to erase a part of America's soul 