PHILADELPHIA — Crews began putting back together a historical display about slavery at Philadelphia’s Independence Mall on Thursday, following a court order that forced federal officials to reverse their controversial decision to remove the exhibit.
The display focuses on nine individuals who were held in bondage at what was once called the President’s House, where George Washington lived. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker made an appearance at the location Thursday morning to express gratitude to the restoration workers, according to her spokesperson Joe Grace.
A federal court judge had given the Interior Department until Friday to put the exhibit back in place at the Independence Mall site. Officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office refused to provide comments about the restoration efforts when asked by reporters.
Federal officials maintain they have sole authority over what historical narratives are presented at locations managed by the National Park Service. Last month, park service employees suddenly took down the exhibits from the Philadelphia location, which led the city and exhibit supporters to file a federal lawsuit.
On Monday, Senior U.S. District Judge Cynthia Rufe issued a court order requiring the materials to be put back while the legal case continues. Her ruling also prevents Trump administration officials from developing new historical interpretations for the site.
In her extensive 40-page ruling, Judge Rufe drew parallels between the Trump administration’s actions and the authoritarian government depicted in George Orwell’s “1984,” which altered historical documentation to support its own version of events. She declared that the federal government lacks authority “to dissemble and disassemble historical truths.”
“If the President’s House is left dismembered throughout this dispute, so too is the history it recounts,” wrote Rufe, who was nominated by former Republican President George W. Bush.
“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,” she added in her decision.
