Attorney Michael Coard of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition spoke to a crowd at the President’s House site at 6th and Market streets in September. He held an image of the 1863 photograph known as the “Scourged Back,” which was reportedly ordered to be taken down from an unidentified national park. —TRIBUNE PHOTO/O.J. SPIVEY

The federal government shutdown that began on October 1 has kept Independence National Historical Park closed. This closure has disrupted the plans of thousands who visit Philadelphia to see where the country was born. Additionally, it has halted potential changes to the President’s House exhibit, which highlights the nine enslaved individuals who labored for former President George Washington.

President Donald Trump has issued directives to remove depictions and language in federal museums and parks acknowledging slavery, claiming that this history is divisive and “disparages” many historical figures.

The President’s House exhibit, located on the edge of Independence National Historical Park in Old City, includes mention of nine enslaved people that Washington illegally brought to Philadelphia from Mount Vernon and kept during his time in the city.

Attorney and activist Michael Coard has led efforts through the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition from the inception of establishing the President’s House as a monument, highlighting both Washington’s residency and his enslavement of Black individuals. Coard’s group has collaborated with others to create the President’s House/Slavery Memorial Alliance, devising strategies to challenge the potential removal of materials mentioning slavery from the site.

While academic and public awareness campaigns have been conducted, no legal action can be taken until the government takes steps to reopen the park and address these issues.

On September 11, Coard sent a letter offering to meet with National Park Services Regional Director Steven Sims and acting Superintendent of Independence National Historical Park (INHP) Amnesty Kochanowski to discuss President Trump’s plans.

“I have yet to get a response to my letter and therefore have been unable to schedule a meeting with anyone at the NPS or INHP,” Coard said via email to The Philadelphia Tribune on Tuesday.

Coard also attempted to hand a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on September 19 when Burgum was filming videos for the upcoming semiquincentennial at the park. That same morning, Coard led a nine-minute vigil in honor of the nine enslaved individuals Washington held.

Unfortunately, the letter was not exchanged, and further efforts to communicate have not been acknowledged.

When The Tribune sought comment from the Department of the Interior on Tuesday, it responded:
“We are currently in a shutdown because of Congressional Democrats. Once Congressional Democrats vote to reopen the government, we will be able to address this non-shutdown related inquiry.”

Coard mentioned that the Alliance has created a social media page to keep the public informed about their monthly meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 3, at Zion Baptist Church at 6 p.m.

—

**Stay Informed and Connected**
Subscribe to The Philadelphia Tribune NOW! [Click Here]

—

**Community Guidelines:**
– Keep it Clean: Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist, or sexually-oriented language.
– Please Turn Off Your Caps Lock.
– Don’t Threaten: Threats of harming others will not be tolerated.
– Be Truthful: Don’t knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
– Be Nice: No racism, sexism, or any degrading -ism toward another person.
– Be Proactive: Use the ‘Report’ link on each comment to notify us of abusive posts.
– Share with Us: We welcome eyewitness accounts and historical context related to our articles.

—

*In related news,* Misty Copeland broke barriers as the first Black female principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre. Now, through her nonprofit, she is working to make dance more accessible for children of color.
https://www.phillytrib.com/news/local_news/action-on-philly-site-that-recognizes-george-washingtons-slaves-awaits-end-of-federal-shutdown/article_42e51517-fbb3-425b-a20b-bb9bcb171e82.html