Just over a dozen panels at The President's House Site, located at 6th and Market streets, were marked for possible removal by September. The display, installed in 2010, details the history of slavery connected to the site and to President George Washington.
For months, members of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC) have been waiting to learn the exhibit's fate.
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"We're building our army, and we're listening to our soldiers," said Michael Coard, founder of the coalition. "What we're really trying to do is to protect the site from what the president might do."
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump directed National Park Service staff to identify exhibit materials that could be considered "disparaging" to America's past. The slavery memorial was among those cited.
"The administration targeted 13 of those panels," Coard said.
In a statement, the White House said to Action News on Monday night: "The administration is currently reviewing public comments, which was delayed by the Democrat shutdown. Once the process is complete, our nation's history will be fully and accurately represented across all national parks."
Coard rejected the idea that the memorial's content is disparaging.
"The last time I checked, when you're telling the truth about something, you're not disparaging it," he said.
Members of ATAC gathered Thursday night at Mother Bethel AME Church to discuss ways to push back. The same grassroots group that battled for eight years to get the memorial installed, despite protests and political opposition, is now preparing to defend it.
"We've been completely ignored, so based on the reliable sources, the information we're getting, we're prepared for a battle and that's why we meet periodically," Coard said. "If we want to continue the vision of liberty, justice and freedom for all from the founding fathers, we gotta make sure we tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about American history."
Coard said the administration's objections include disputes over artwork and historical interpretation.
"The president's representatives say there's no history that Black men were beat and whipped in connection with the Fugitive Slave Act. I'm like, are you kidding me? It was slavery," he said.
He added that the fight has resonated far beyond activists.
"He poked the bear. People were interested in this site, but not too much. Now that he talked about potentially censoring it, whitewashing, shutting it down, we brought in more than just activists. We have archaeologists, we have architects, we have historians."
Rosalyn McPherson, president of the ROZ Group, said the memorial has drawn more than 15 million visitors since opening.
"These kinds of comprehensive histories are very important to all of us as Americans; we're really reminded of that as we go into our 250th year," she said. "It's not threatening, it's part of our heritage."
McPherson said she felt "anger" when learning of the administration's review.
"Why have that level of ignorance exposed from the leader of our nation? Who clearly does not understand, probably has not read, otherwise he would understand why this is an important story," she said.
Coalition members warned that the implications reach far beyond Philadelphia.
"There will be an effort to whitewash American history, and it starts here," one member said. "What happens here will affect what happens all over the United States."
ATAC representatives said they have reached out to the administration but have not received a response. It remains unclear when or whether any action will be taken on the memorial.
"He's messing with American history," Coard said.