Governor Josh Shapiro has indeed entered a legal battle over a slavery exhibit in Philadelphia, though technically he is supporting a lawsuit filed by the City of Philadelphia.
The dispute centers on the President’s House Site at Independence National Historical Park. This outdoor exhibit marks where George Washington and John Adams lived while Philadelphia was the capital. Since 2010, it has featured prominent displays detailing the lives of the nine enslaved people Washington held there.
On January 22, 2026, the National Park Service (NPS) began dismantling these displays and removing panels that discussed the “paradox of liberty and slavery.”
Philadelphia filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of the Interior (headed by Secretary Doug Burgum). The city argues the removal violates a 2006 cooperative agreement that gives the city equal say in the site’s content.
Governor Shapiro filed an amicus brief (a “friend of the court” filing) to formally put the weight of the Commonwealth behind the city’s lawsuit. Shapiro and city leaders allege the federal government is “whitewashing” history. Shapiro stated, “Donald Trump will take any opportunity to rewrite… our history—but he picked the wrong city and the wrong Commonwealth.”
The removal was sparked by Executive Order 14253, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” signed by President Trump in March 2025. The order:
Directs the Department of the Interior to ensure public markers do not “inappropriately disparage” historical figures.
Specifically named Independence National Historical Park as a site for review to ensure it does not promote “divisive ideology.”
Mayor Cherelle Parker announced that the federal government has agreed to preserve the removed panels (rather than destroying them) while the litigation is active. A federal judge is scheduled to hear arguments for a preliminary injunction this Friday to stop any further changes to the site.
