Court Orders Return Of Slavery Exhibit At Independence Mall
Judge Cynthia Rufe ordered restoration of materials on the nine people enslaved at the former President's House in Philadelphia while litigation proceeds.
Overview
Workers began restoring the exhibit on the lives of the nine people once enslaved at the former President's House on Thursday.
Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe granted an injunction ordering the materials restored and barring Trump administration officials from creating new interpretations of the site's history.
Mayor Cherelle Parker visited the site Thursday and thanked workers, and the administration argues it alone can decide what stories are told at National Park Service properties.
In a 40-page opinion, Rufe compared the administration to the regime in the novel "1984" and warned that replacing the exhibits would irreparably harm the site's historical integrity.
A federal judge had set a Friday deadline for the Interior Department to restore the exhibit, and the city and other supporters sued after Park Service workers removed exhibits from the site.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story around a judicial rebuke and local restoration efforts, emphasizing the mayor's visit and the judge’s critical opinion. Editorial choices — loaded descriptors like "contentious" and "abruptly removed," prominence given to the injunction, and limited direct administration response — collectively tilt coverage toward the exhibit’s defenders.
Sources (3)
FAQ
The exhibit details the lives of nine people enslaved by George Washington at the President's House in Philadelphia during his presidency, highlighting the paradox of slavery and freedom in early America.
The National Park Service removed the 34 panels and video exhibits in January under a Trump administration executive order directing the removal of content that 'inappropriately disparages Americans past or living' and to focus on American achievements.
Judge Rufe granted a preliminary injunction ordering the immediate restoration of the exhibits, ruling the removal unlawful and arbitrary, barring further changes without city agreement, and comparing the administration's actions to the Ministry of Truth in '1984'.
Workers began restoring the panels and exhibits on Thursday, following the judge's Friday deadline, while the Trump administration appeals to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals and seeks a stay.
The City of Philadelphia and supporters like the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition sued, arguing the removal violated the Administrative Procedures Act and congressional agreements limiting NPS authority without city consent.
History
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