1. United States
2. Pa.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my strong concern and disappointment about the National Park Service’s recent removal of the slavery exhibits at the President’s House site in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia on January 22, 2026. These exhibits, which had stood since 2010 and honored the lives of the nine people enslaved there by George Washington, provided essential historical context about the contradiction between American ideals of freedom and the reality of slavery. The removal followed a directive from the Trump administration to review and take down interpretive materials in national parks that are deemed to “inappropriately disparage” the United States. It is impossible to disparage any person, place or country by stating facts. I implore you to reference the actual definition. If that feels like disparagement then that is shame or embarrassment over what transpired. All that has been done is the removal of fact and history that puts us on the path of being doomed to repeat. If you support such removals I encourage you to start examining your own racism and DO the work to help move Pennsylvania and the US forward. As a constituent that is the bare minimum I have for those we elect.