Philadelphia Sues Federal Government Over Removal of Slavery Exhibit at Historic Site

The City of Philadelphia has initiated legal action against the federal government after the National Park Service dismantled exhibits addressing slavery at the President's House Site within Independence National Historical Park. The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, names the U.S. Department of the Interior, Secretary Doug Burgum, the National Park Service, and its acting director Jessica Bowron as defendants. The city seeks a preliminary injunction to restore the removed displays.

The President's House Site, where Presidents George Washington and John Adams resided, featured exhibits honoring individuals enslaved by Washington and provided a historical timeline of American slavery. On Thursday afternoon, work crews were observed dismantling large display panels at the site.

In March 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the Interior Secretary to remove content within the department's jurisdiction that "inappropriately disparage Americans past or living." The order stated:

"Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth. This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light."

Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson criticized the removal, stating,

"Removing the exhibits is an effort to whitewash American history. History cannot be erased simply because it is uncomfortable."

Michael Coard, a founding member of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which helped establish the exhibit in 2010, described the removal as "outrageous and blatantly racist."

The Trump administration has previously directed the removal of materials focused on diversity from U.S. cultural and historical institutions. Last year, the American Battle Monuments Commission took down a cemetery display in the Netherlands that commemorated the contributions of African American WWII soldiers and highlighted the discrimination they faced.