Slavery Exhibit Returning to Independence Mall in Philadelphia

Exhibit on lives of enslaved people at former President's House to be restored after legal battle with Trump administration

Published on Feb. 26, 2026

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A federal judge has ordered the restoration of an exhibit on the lives of the nine people once enslaved at the former President's House in Philadelphia, which was removed by the Trump administration. The city of Philadelphia and other supporters of the exhibit sued the federal government, arguing that it does not have the power to revise historical truths at National Park Service properties.

Why it matters

The exhibit's removal sparked a contentious legal battle over the federal government's authority to control the historical narrative at national sites. The judge's ruling upholds the importance of accurately representing the full history of such places, including the stories of enslaved individuals.

The details

Workers began restoring the exhibit on Thursday, following a federal judge's order to do so by Friday. The judge compared the Trump administration's actions to the dystopian novel '1984,' where historical records were revised to align with a particular narrative. The judge ruled that the federal government does not have the power to 'dissemble and disassemble historical truths' at national sites.

  • On Thursday, workers began restoring the exhibit.
  • A federal judge set a Friday deadline for the Interior Department to restore the exhibit.

The players

Cherelle Parker

The mayor of Philadelphia who visited the site on Thursday and thanked the workers for their efforts.

Cynthia Rufe

A senior U.S. District Judge who granted an injunction ordering the restoration of the exhibit and barring the Trump administration from creating new interpretations of the site's history.

Donald Trump

The former president whose administration removed the exhibits from the Philadelphia site, prompting the city and other supporters to sue.

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What they’re saying

“If the President's House is left dismembered throughout this dispute, so too is the history it recounts. Worse yet, the potential of having the exhibits replaced by an alternative script — a plausible assumption at this time — would be an even more permanent rejection of the site's historical integrity, and irreparable.”

— Cynthia Rufe, Senior U.S. District Judge (Court opinion)

What’s next

The judge's ruling means the exhibit on the lives of the enslaved people at the former President's House will be restored, while the legal battle between the city and the federal government continues.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing struggle to accurately represent the full history of national sites, including the stories of marginalized and oppressed groups. The judge's ruling upholds the importance of preserving historical integrity and rejecting revisionist narratives, even when they come from the highest levels of government.