Next steps for Independence Mall slavery exhibit remain unclear
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National Park Service employees were in the process of putting panels from a slavery exhibit back up at the President's House Site earlier this year. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
After months of legal back-and-forth over a slavery exhibit at Philadelphia's President's House, a federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration. But what visitors will see there come July 4 remains unclear.
Why it matters: Independence Mall will be at the center of the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations in less than two weeks.
The big picture: The fight over dozens of exhibit panels at the historical sites has become a flashpoint in President Trump's push to eliminate what his administration has called "improper ideology" from national parks nationwide.
- The exhibit tells the story of the nine enslaved people who lived in George Washington's Philly home and their place in the nation's founding.
- The Trump administration wants to replace the panels with ones that contain fewer references to the enslaved people and place less emphasis on Washington's role as an enslaver, per the Inquirer.
Catch up quick: A federal appeals court last week cleared the way for the Trump administration to place its own content at the site.
- The ruling tossed out a February decision that sided with the city after the Parker administration sued over changes the National Park Service had made to the exhibit.
- That earlier ruling ordered the restoration of panels that have stood at the site for decades.
- But now, the appeals court found the city has no authority over exhibit content at the federally owned site.
Yes, but: The Parker administration could appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Mayor Cherelle Parker said in a social media post last week that she would "pursue every legal action possible in efforts to reverse this decision."
- The city is still "exploring all of our legal options," city Law Department spokesperson Ava Schwemler told Axios on Monday.
Reality check: The chances of the Supreme Court taking up the matter would be slim.
- Usually, the high court hears roughly 100 to 150 of the thousands of petitions it receives every year.
The intrigue: When and if NPS will install the new panels is TBD.
- NPS and the U.S. Department of the Interior didn't immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
Meanwhile, NPS expected to complete routine maintenance on the exhibit by Monday, per a court document from June 12.
Between the lines: Some of the Trump-backed panels attempt to reckon with the nation's history of slavery, the federal appeals court wrote in its opinion.
- They include references to the Three-Fifths Compromise and a panel featuring an excerpt from Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, while others provide "an even broader overview of slavery and the struggle to extirpate it."
Zoom out: Independence Mall — where both the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed — will be the place to be around Independence Day.
- In addition to tourists flocking to the historical site, members of Congress are scheduled to take part in a ceremonial event on July 2.
What we're watching: Whether related legal challenges could affect the future of the President's House.
- A federal judge in Massachusetts declined to pause her order barring NPS from removing signs at national parks nationwide, including Philly.
- Meanwhile, Philly activist groups Avenging the Ancestors Coalition and The Black Journey have a separate filing to intervene, the groups' attorney, Cara McClellan, tells Axios.
- McClellan said her clients remain committed to fighting for the exhibit's full restoration.