PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Chester County organization formed to celebrate 250 years of American unity has issued an apology after a controversial social media post this week.
A post on the Chester County America250 PA Commission’s Facebook page on Monday displayed a picture of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865, and an advocate for slavery.
The post called Davis a visionary who drew upon the principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence to “fight for a more perfect union.” The post called stories like his “a testament to how the ideals of liberty, equality and freedom continue to shape and inspire movements for change.” Among the hashtags included were “InspiredByTheDeclaration” and “FreedomFighters.”
In a statement obtained by KYW Newsradio, the commission said the post was made by an intern unaware of Davis’ role in American history and published through an automated process.
“There was no intention on the part of the Commission to include or honor figures associated with disunity on platforms meant to celebrate 250 years of American progress and unity,” said the commission, adding it was “committed to putting the controls and mechanisms in place to ensure nothing like this happens again.”