{"id":7235,"date":"2026-07-16T03:20:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7235"},"modified":"2026-07-16T03:20:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:20:50","slug":"trump-admin-replaces-slavery-memorial-at-presidents-house-in-philadelphia-after-court-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=7235","title":{"rendered":"Trump admin replaces slavery memorial at President&#8217;s House in Philadelphia after court win"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"prism-article-body\">\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao MvWXB TjIXL aGjvy ebVHC \">The National Park Service has installed new panels at the slavery memorial at the President\u2019s House exhibit in Philadelphia in a move that has drawn criticism from advocates of the exhibit.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The site is where President George Washington lived<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->for the<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->majority of his presidency &#8212; from 1790 to 1797 &#8212;<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->and where he enslaved nine men and women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;These new panels are full of historical context and highlight the momentous events that took place in the President\u2019s House and the other sites at Independence National Historical Park,&#8221; a spokesperson for the Interior Department told ABC News in a statement on Wednesday, confirming the replacement of the exhibit. &#8220;They acknowledge the evils of slavery, including its injustices and hypocrisies, and, by telling the stories of the nine slaves that Washington kept in the President\u2019s House, remind us of their essential humanity.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Interior Department, which oversees NPS, told ABC News previously that the old panels &#8220;disparaged&#8221; Washington. But according to Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), a group founded in 2020 by Philadelphia attorney Michael Coard that launched the fight for a slavery memorial at the site, the language in the new panels minimizes the brutality of slavery and Washington&#8217;s role in it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">At a press conference on Wednesday, Coard said that the fight is not over.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cYou got to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and that&#8217;s not what they&#8217;re doing here,\u201d Coard said.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;The mythological panels are up,&#8221; Coard said, adding that advocates and supporters had been monitoring the site daily to record any changes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur gIjeL \" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/075e26cc-842e-4164-b214-0576bbb48f5c\/slavery-exhibit-ap-jt-260703_1783093087452_hpMain.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/075e26cc-842e-4164-b214-0576bbb48f5c\/slavery-exhibit-ap-jt-260703_1783093087452_hpMain.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/075e26cc-842e-4164-b214-0576bbb48f5c\/slavery-exhibit-ap-jt-260703_1783093087452_hpMain.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/075e26cc-842e-4164-b214-0576bbb48f5c\/slavery-exhibit-ap-jt-260703_1783093087452_hpMain.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/075e26cc-842e-4164-b214-0576bbb48f5c\/slavery-exhibit-ap-jt-260703_1783093087452_hpMain.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">In this Aug. 19, 2025, file photo people walk past an informational panel at President&#8217;s House Site in Philadelphia.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">Matt Rourke\/AP, FILE<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The replacement of the panels, which happened overnight, comes amid an ongoing federal lawsuit filed by the city of Philadelphia, seeking to reinstall and protect the slavery memorial in its original form. Although the lawsuit has not been resolved, an <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/Politics\/court-clears-trump-admin-immediately-replace-slavery-exhibit\/story?id=134443527\" dir=\"ltr\">appeals court ruled last month that NPS can replace the exhibit<\/a> while the lawsuit is pending.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker shared a statement on her<!-- -->\u00a0<a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fx.com%2FPhillyMayor%2Fstatus%2F2077411773003502072&amp;data=05%7C02%7CLeah.Sarnoff%40abc.com%7C40bac49ea4034316c0d508dee2aaac89%7C56b731a8a2ac4c32bf6b616810e913c6%7C1%7C0%7C639197419830480545%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=QjtxMrJ7r8LFroy3usxe%2FPpmuA57IP85EuOgXK2OSF8%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" dir=\"ltr\">X<\/a>\u00a0<!-- -->account on Wednesday, responding to the replacement of the exhibit and vowing to continue to the legal battle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">\u201cOvernight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed panels at the President\u2019s House that<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->told a thorough history of Philadelphia. It was allowed to do this by the decision of the federal court, but that it did so at night shows it understands this action is shameful, that it violates community trust.<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->Which it is, and which it does.<!-- -->\u00a0<!-- -->But the fight is not over, as we will continue the fight,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">She added that the city intends to request a rehearing on its case by the panel of judges at the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.<!-- -->\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">In April, NPS <a class=\"zZygg UbGlr iFzkS qdXbA WCDhQ DbOXS tqUtK GpWVU iJYzE \" data-testid=\"prism-linkbase\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nps.gov\/inde\/planyourvisit\/presidentshousesite.htm\" dir=\"ltr\">published<\/a> photos of 11 new panels it planned to install. A spokesperson confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that the panels in those photos were erected at the site. It is unclear if any of the original 34 panels are still included in the new exhibit. ABC News has reached out to NPS for comment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"oLzSq QrHMO fnRUo pvsTF EhJPu vPlOC zNYgW OsTsW RMeqy daRVX ISNQ sKyCY eRftA acPPc MENS nFwaT MCnQE mEeeY SmBjI xegrY rPLsU iulOd NIuqO zzscu lzDCc aHUBM IEgzD OjMNy eQqcx SVqKB GQmdz jaoD VWDdR ONJdw vrZxD OnRTz gbbfF roDbV GPGwb oMlSS gfNzt oJhud eXZcf zhVlX \">\n<div>\n<div class=\"InlineImage GpQCA lZur asrEW \" data-testid=\"prism-inline-image\">\n<figure class=\"kzIjN GNmeK pYrtp dSqFO \" data-testid=\"prism-figure\">\n<div class=\"GpQCA lZur \" style=\"padding-bottom:122.22222222222223%\" data-testid=\"prism-ratio-frame\">\n<div class=\"FvQLF iLTd NqeUA UzzHi iWsMV \"><picture data-testid=\"prism-picture\"><source media=\"(max-width: 414px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/dbcd3ba1-f049-48f8-8144-2e5af71f289c\/george-washington-portrait-gty-jt-260703_1783093393586_hpEmbed_9x11.jpg?w=375, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/dbcd3ba1-f049-48f8-8144-2e5af71f289c\/george-washington-portrait-gty-jt-260703_1783093393586_hpEmbed_9x11.jpg?w=750 2x\"\/><source media=\"(min-width: 415px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/dbcd3ba1-f049-48f8-8144-2e5af71f289c\/george-washington-portrait-gty-jt-260703_1783093393586_hpEmbed_9x11.jpg?w=750, https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/dbcd3ba1-f049-48f8-8144-2e5af71f289c\/george-washington-portrait-gty-jt-260703_1783093393586_hpEmbed_9x11.jpg?w=1500 2x\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"hsDdd NDJZt sJeUN IJwXl vBqtr KrDt itslR SjwtZ hakZw HlUVI \" data-testid=\"prism-image\" draggable=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/dbcd3ba1-f049-48f8-8144-2e5af71f289c\/george-washington-portrait-gty-jt-260703_1783093393586_hpEmbed_9x11.jpg\"\/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>\n<div class=\"nMMea bNYiy Mjgpa dGwha DDmxa jgKNG RGHCC aBIU PriDW aiQHS lZur \" data-testid=\"prism-caption\">\n<p><span class=\"hsDdd OOSI GpQCA lZur VlFaz \" data-testid=\"prism-truncate\"><span><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ \">Portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart painted in 1803.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"gtOSm FbbUW tUtYa vOCwz EQwFq yCufu eEak Qmvg nyTIa SRXVc vzLa jgBfc WXDas CiUCW kqbG zrdEG txGfn ygKVe BbezD UOtxr CVfpq xijV soGRS XgdC sEIlf daWqJ YNujN JGtjI aZFDu rkKLh \">STOCK PHOTO\/Getty Images<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;What Trump wants to do, and plans to do, is to literally whitewash and censor the site,&#8221; Coard previously told ABC News.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;One [of the panels] makes the argument that slavery under George Washington in Philadelphia at the President&#8217;s House wasn&#8217;t really that bad because the enslaved Black folks there had &#8216;a modicum of autonomy,'&#8221; Coard said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">Coard also pointed to new proposed language that he said highlights Washington\u2019s &#8220;discomfort&#8221; with slavery despite the fact that the nation&#8217;s first president enslaved more than 300 Black men, women, and children at his Mount Vernon estate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">The Interior Department said in its statement that the new panels tell the &#8220;full story.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">&#8220;By telling the full story, every triumph, every challenge, and every step towards a more perfect union we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here,&#8221; the department said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC TjIXL aGjvy \">A spokesperson for the Interior Department told ABC News that the removal and planned replacement of the panels comply with President Donald Trump\u2019s March 2025 executive order, &#8220;Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"EkqkG IGXmU nlgHS yuUao lqtkC eTIW sUzSN \">The order called for the removal of &#8220;negative&#8221; and &#8220;divisive&#8221; materials from national parks and content that &#8220;disparages\u201d Americans, living or dead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Park Service has installed new panels at the slavery memorial at the President\u2019s House exhibit in Philadelphia in a move that has drawn criticism from advocates of the exhibit. The site is where President George Washington lived\u00a0for the\u00a0majority of his presidency &#8212; from 1790 to 1797 &#8212;\u00a0and where he enslaved nine men and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7236,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/i.abcnewsfe.com\/a\/075e26cc-842e-4164-b214-0576bbb48f5c\/slavery-exhibit-ap-jt-260703_1783093087452_hpMain_16x9.jpg?w=1600","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abc-news"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}