Kudos to everyone who pushed back against Donald Trump’s attempt to whitewash the history of slavery at the President’s House site near the Liberty Bell.
Trump’s ridiculous executive order instructed the National Park Service to remove or cover up displays on federal sites that “inappropriately disparage Americans past or living.”
The arbitrary Sept. 17 deadline to remove the material has passed. For now, the President’s House exhibits remain untouched. But vigilance is still required, given Trump’s erratic policy approach and alarming cognitive state.
Credit a number of people and organizations who came together to preserve the truth — that nine enslaved people slept and worked at the house where President George Washington lived in Philadelphia. The effort was a model for how to combat Trump’s other attempts to roll back freedoms and rewrite history.
Michael Coard, an attorney who led the charge years ago to ensure the President’s House exhibit included the history of enslavement there, organized a rally outside the site earlier this month.
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Others stepped up, as well, including retired attorney Michelle Flamer, former President’s House project manager Rosalyn McPherson, and the Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, former pastor of Mother Bethel AME Church.
City Council President Kenyatta Johnson slammed plans by the Trump administration to alter exhibits about slavery at Independence National Historical Park. Council passed a resolution last week that condemned the administration’s effort to erase history from historical sites.
Angela Val, the head of Visit Philadelphia, joined the fight and said the city’s main tourism arm would work with others to find another location if displays about slavery were removed.
Noticeably absent was Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, who, like many other political and business leaders, has assiduously avoided confrontations with Trump.
Parker may be keeping her powder dry. But silence doesn’t work with bullies. Eventually, they will come for you.
Trump can be swayed by strength, unity, and public opinion.
He backed off his threat to send the National Guard to Chicago after intense pushback by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff announcements prompted a Financial Times columnist to coin the term “TACO,” for “Trump Always Chickens Out.”
Trump’s tariff agenda remains in flux following a new round of announcements last week. He often uses tariffs more as punishment than economic policy.
The same holds true with many other executive orders. In fact, a report on Fox News could be all it takes to trigger him to revisit the President’s House exhibit, which underscores the paradox of slavery and freedom during the nation’s founding, a stone’s throw from Independence Hall.
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More importantly, the President’s House exhibit provides a history lesson many Americans never fully learned in school. That is why Philadelphia leaders would be wise to develop backup plans in case the exhibits are removed — as well as for any other attacks on freedom and the truth.
First stop may be the courts, but that could take a while and is unpredictable.
Several worthy options have already been raised.
Faye Anderson, a preservationist and founding director of PHL Watchdog, proposed a 3D digital recreation of the President’s House site.
Lynda Kellam, a data librarian, is working with librarians, historians, and data experts to create a campaign called “Save Our Signs” that asks visitors to submit photographs in order to build a community photo archive.
The city should also consider temporary exhibit sites, such as at LOVE Park or the City Hall courtyard. Preserving history and telling America’s full story is especially important as Philadelphia prepares to celebrate the country’s 250th anniversary next year.
America must learn from history, not try to rewrite it.