PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The President’s House and other exhibits in Independence National Historic Park are under threat of changes or removal, under a Trump administration order to get rid of what it deems as “negative” information. Advocates are fighting back, including Gov. Josh Shapiro.
It took a lot of activism to get the President’s House built, and its advocates have promised a lot of activism to keep it intact.
The group Avenging the Ancestors formed when archeologists uncovered the foundation of George Washington’s residence at 6th and Market streets and realized it showed the outline of the president’s slave quarters.
The group pressured city and federal officials to create what would become the first national memorial centering the stories of slaves.
Now, 15 years later, the group is set to protest a park service review that would cover up or remove “inappropriate content” by Sept. 17.
“The president’s seeming attempts to rewrite our history goes against the very values that our nation stands for,” said Shapiro during a visit to a Philadelphia violence prevention program Friday.
Shapiro said he’s increasingly concerned about actions and rhetoric from the Trump administration.
“I think there is a battle for the soul of this nation going on right now, and I think it’s important that as we engage in that battle, we don’t whitewash our history the way the Trump administration seemingly wants to,” he said.
“It’s important that we know our history, all aspects of our history. If we don’t reckon with the reality of our past, I don’t think we can learn from it and move forward together.”