Valentina Pirrone

LDR 101

Dr. Stamant

20th Sept. 2025

                                            Executive Order on The Removal of Slavery Exhibits at National Parks

    A recent article from The Washington Post details a new executive order from the Trump administration. The March executive order is now directing the Interior Department to remove information and exhibits on slavery and histories of oppression at multiple national parks. To give some background, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is a U.S. federal agency responsible for managing the nation's federal lands, minerals and wildlife. The executive order called for eliminating information that reflects “corrosive ideology” that “disparages historic Americans.” The article then goes on to state how following Trump’s order, Interior Department officials issued policies that ordered employees to report any information such as signage or even gift shop items that could be out of compliance with the order. Additionally, An effort in asking park visitors to report offending material was launched; however the order was mostly met with criticisms of the administration and praise for the parks.

    The article explains that recent orders included the removal of information at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia and at the President’s House Site in Philadelphia. At Harpers Ferry, staff flagged over 30 signs on racial discrimination and White hostility towards the formerly enslaved. This also included the removal of a famous photo of an enslaved man’s scarred back, which had taken on a greater meaning in the struggle for black liberation. The article quotes Anne Cross, a scholar of 19th century photography, saying how in many cases, this photo shifted public opinion on defeating the Confederacy and the need to preserve the Union. Lastly in the article, Cindy Macleod, a superintendent of Independence National Historical Park, warns that trying to extricate slavery from the President’s House would alter the site’s meaning, stressing that such exhibits remain vital.

    In my opinion, I believe that this executive order holds no basis for taking down these exhibits. While this information may be quite heavy or sensitive it’s still a large portion of our history and it’s important that we recognize it. In an article in the World Economic Forum on how museums can help heal fractured societies it states that, ”Museums and cultural institutions play critical roles in how countries define themselves and how they wrestle with issues of identity and inclusion,”(Bunch) without learning and coming to terms with the past, we cannot make significant progress to address race and equality within America. The article quotes the American writer and activist, James Balwin on how, “people trapped in a history that they do not understand can never be released from that history until they grapple with it, until they understand it.”(Bunch) Museums and exhibits like the ones in these national parks can challenge the histories that weigh us down. By better understanding how slavery has shaped our struggle for racial equality, we can begin to heal and reconcile these issues within America.

    Another important thing to note is how American American history has so many stories of bravery, and determination, that have been pertinent in sparking change. In an article in UMGC called ‘The Importance of Learning about Black History’ it explains how, “Such stories have inspired both Black and non-Black activists to challenge the status quo and demand change.”(Freeman) We can see this from the abolition of slavery, desegregation of lunch counters, Brown v. Board of Education, and much more.

    Ultimately, It simply just isn’t realistic to completely remove and censor these parts of American history. We can still appreciate America’s achievements while also still taking the time to learn about the history of slavery and oppression within our country. If we don't know the origins of our issues with racial discrimination and other inequalities, how can we inspire change within newer generations, and make progress to fix them?

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Works Cited

Jake Spring, and Hannah Natanson. “National Park to Remove Photo of Enslaved Man’s Scars.” The Washington Post, 15 Sept. 2025,

 

Bunch, Lonnie. “America, Slavery and How Museums Can Help to Heal Fractured Societies.” World Economic Forum, 12 Jan. 2017,

 

Freeman, Damon. “The Importance of Learning About Black History.” UMGC Blog, University of Maryland Global Campus, 12 Feb. 2024,