‘Under the cover of darkness’: Philadelphia mayor hits back after Trump admin replaces slavery exhibit in Washington | Today’s news
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on Wednesday criticized the Trump administration for replacing an exhibit on slavery at the site of President George Washington’s home.
“Overnight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed the panels in the President’s House that told the detailed history of Philadelphia,” Mayor Parker said. “It was allowed to do this by a federal court order, but for it to do so at night shows that it understands that this step is shameful, that it violates the trust of the community.”
She also said Philadelphia remains committed to an honest and accurate portrayal of history in the president’s home and will seek a review of a June 18 decision by a Third Circuit panel that allowed their replacement.
The exhibit on slavery in the President’s House has been replaced
According to The Associated Press, the new exhibit was installed in the same area where the Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, 1776.
The original panels were installed in 2010 and told the story of how nine slaves lived in the house with George and Martha Washington in the 1790s, when Philadelphia was briefly the nation’s capital.
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The Interior Department told The Associated Press in a statement that the new “panels are full of historical context and highlight significant events that occurred at the President’s House and other locations in Independence National Historical Park.”
“They recognize the evils of slavery, including its injustices and hypocrisies, and by telling the stories of the nine slaves Washington kept in the president’s home, they remind us of their basic humanity,” the statement said.
The new panels still include information about the enslaved people who lived in the home and details about the abolitionist movement, how the Constitution treated slavery, the end of slavery in Pennsylvania, and how Washington and his successor John Adams viewed and treated slavery, as well as information about the civil rights movement in the 20th century.
However, the replacement panels are missing some details from the previous ones, such as a map of slave trade routes and a timeline of slavery. They also avoid critical headlines like “The Dirty Business of Slavery.”
Trump’s attempt to “whitewash” American history
The Washington House exhibit is one of several historic exhibits at national parks and monuments that the Trump administration has sought to replace, arguing that they “inappropriately disparage past or living Americans.”
In March, Trump signed an executive order “restoring truth and sanity in American history” in the nation’s museums, parks and landmarks, saying instead to “focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people” and “the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.”
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However, many historians and critics have argued that it was an attempt to whitewash the nation’s history, especially regarding slavery.
In June, a Massachusetts court ordered the Trump administration to restore changes already made to national parks, museums and landmarks.
“History cannot be faithfully told without excluding the experiences of communities whose contributions, struggles and achievements form an important part of our nation’s story,” the judge said.
