Philly residents are readying to contest the potential elimination of the Independence Mall slavery exhibit, a move that has been suggested by the White House.

The President's House Memorial in Philadelphia, standing on the footprint of the nation's first executive mansion where George Washington lived between 1790 and 1797, is under review by the White House. This review, triggered by a Trump administration executive order, has sparked a series of town hall meetings, the latest of which was held at Zion Baptist Church in North Philly on Wednesday evening.

The six-panel outdoor exhibit, "Freedom and Slavery in the Making of a New Nation," which opened in 2010, examines the paradox between the fight for freedom against British rule led by those who engaged in slavery during the founding of the nation. The memorial, however, has faced criticism from some quarters, including Michael Lewis, a professor of architecture at Williams College, who expressed concern that the memorial's focus on slavery overshadows Washington's role in shaping the presidency.

Lewis suggested a fuller interpretation of the President's House Memorial, emphasizing the need to balance the story of slavery with Washington's achievements. Roz McPherson, who served as project director when the memorial opened in 2010, called on the audience to fight against any effort to remove or revise the memorial. McPherson noted the transfer of the exhibit to the National Park Service and the need to study the agreements closely regarding intellectual property rights.

State Rep. Darisha Parker has threatened to seek funding to relocate the exhibit if it is removed. The town hall organizers proposed various countermeasures, including letter campaigns, legal challenges, and seeking alternative locations, including online. The Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, originally founded in 2002 to campaign for the creation of a prominent memorial to the people held in slavery by Washington in Philadelphia, organized the town hall meeting.

Philadelphia is set to play a central role in the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations in 2026, with $85 million committed to Independence Park for infrastructure upgrades. The Department of the Interior stated that "interpretive signage is under review." The White House has until September 17 to provide a review of the President's House Memorial.

While in Philadelphia, Washington held at least nine Africans as slaves, including Oney Judge, who famously escaped. Lewis stressed that the story of Washington rotating his enslaved workers every six months to avoid Pennsylvania's gradual abolition law should be told at the site. McPherson stated that the President's House Site was constructed and built by the city of Philadelphia.

Trump's executive order included language directing the Department of the Interior to allocate "sufficient funding" for restoring Independence Park ahead of the celebration. The outcome of the review process remains uncertain, but the town hall meetings and the public outcry indicate a strong desire to preserve the President's House Memorial as it stands.