The Struggle Intensifies
The Struggle Intensifies
Junious
Ricardo Stanton
On March 27, 2025 President Trump
issued Executive Order #14253 with a dastardly Orwellian title Restoring
Truth and Sanity to American History with the stated purpose of doing away
with and shutting down fifty exhibits at thirty-seven sites around the nation
that in Trump’s mind disparaged America and Americans past and present or
depicted America(ns) in a negative light. The Smithsonian Institute in
Washington D.C. and the Presidents House Slavery Memorial were two sites
Trump’s EO specifically targeted.
In January of 2026 employees of the
National Park Service in Philadelphia executed Trump’s order and dismantled thirty-four
panels and interactive video exhibits at the Sixth and Market Street site of
the original Robert Morris House which served as the first White House
(President’s House) during George Washington’s time as the first president of
the newly created United States of America.
While
Washington carried out his official duties in Philadelphia nine enslaved
persons of African descent forcibly labored at that residence. They were: Austin, Christopher
Sheels, Giles, Hercules, Joe (Richardson), Moll, Oney
Judge, Paris, and Richmond.
This site is significant because
Washington who was an enslaver and former soldier who waged wars against
Europeans and Indigenous Americans brought nine enslaved Africans to serve him
and his wife Martha to Philadelphia from their Virginia plantation. George and
Martha “owned” or managed a total of
three hundred and seventeen enslaved persons at the time of Washington’s
demise. One hundred and twenty-three were “owned” by Washington, his wife
Martha inherited one hundred fifty-three from her first husband and they
rented another forty or so from neighbors.
Trump’s
decree is designed to erase this information from the public consciousness
especially during the two hundred and fiftieth celebration of this nation’s
founding. Immediately upon hearing of the National Park Service’s dismantling
of the exhibits, the City of Philadelphia, the Avenging the Ancestors
Coalition, Black Journeys and The Presidents House Slavery Memorial Coalition
sprang into action. The city filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction to
stay the National Park Service’s actions. ATAC, Black Journeys, PHSMC, Governor
Shapiro and the State Democratic Caucus filed amicus briefs in support of the
city’s position.
Cynthia M.
Rufe a Federal District Court Judge heard oral arguments and reviewed the
submitted briefs and subsequently ruled the National Park Service must restore
the exhibit to its original pristine condition immediately. The NPS partially
complied. The Trump Administration immediately filed an appeal in the Third
Circuit Court which later overruled the District Court ruling. Litigation is
still pending as ATAC and Black Journeys have petitioned the court to be
included as plaintiffs in the case, this matter is still pending.
Last week
in a Massachusetts District Federal Court another case was filed also
challenging Trumps Executive Order as it pertained to fifty exhibits in the thirty-seven
sites around the country, The President’s House Slavery Memorial included. The
Judge in that case Angel Kelly ruled the government could not arbitrarily shut
those exhibits down, she issued a preliminary injunction and ordered the Trump
Administration must submit weekly progress reports on the restoration of all
the exhibits.
The administration appealed to the
First Circuit Court in Massachusetts which unanimously agreed to pause Judge
Kelly’s order mandating the sites had to be restored by July 3 the day before
the Fourth of July celebrations! However, the three-judge panel allowed Judge
Kelly’s ruling preventing the National Park Service and the Trump administration
from dismantling and purging the exhibits around the nation to stand. Other
aspects of these cases also are still awaiting further litigation.
The struggle for truth and an
accurate depiction of American history intensifies! Stay tuned.
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posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 9:10 AM
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