Judge blocks changes to slavery exhibit panels at President's House in Old City

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A federal appeals court has ordered that the slavery exhibit at Independence Mall in Philadelphia remain unchanged, marking a small victory for advocates seeking to preserve the full history of enslaved people connected to President George Washington.

The ruling requires that 16 restored panels at the President's House site stay in place and that no changes be made to the exhibit as the legal fight continues.

The exhibit tells the stories of nine people enslaved by Washington during his time in Philadelphia.

"We feel great and we're quite optimistic," said Michael Coard, with the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, which led the fight to get the exhibit installed years ago.

The decision follows a months-long dispute between the coalition, the city and the National Park Service.

In January, the agency removed the panels, prompting the city to file for a preliminary injunction. The panels were restored weeks later.

Now, the court has ordered the federal government to "preserve the status quo," meaning the 16 panels must remain in place while the case proceeds.

"We don't want to do a victory lap yet, but we're putting our sneakers on," Coard said.

Despite the ruling, Coard criticized the federal government for making changes to the exhibit's online content.

"It seems that the federal government is playing games," he said. "They didn't put up new information, physically at the site, but they did put up new information on the National Park Service website. And that's really not playing fair."

The updated website includes language suggesting Washington "often expressed discomfort" with slavery, and that the slaves kept in his home had more "autonomy" than slaves in other areas.

"If he felt discomfort, what about the 316 that he enslaved at Mount Vernon? What about the nine he enslaved in Philadelphia?" he said.

Visitors at the site expressed concern about any effort to remove or alter the exhibit.

"It was really shocking to me, especially with the 250th anniversary of this country coming up," said Melissa Carucci of South Philadelphia.

Sarah Moss, visiting from Emeryville, California, said, "To take down any part of African-American history is just a disservice to this country, like we need to know history to not repeat it."

The court's order does not address the remaining 18 panels that are still not on display. Coard said those panels will be restored if the final ruling is in their favor.

"We hope that by the end of all the arguments in the Third Circuit, the remaining 18 for a total of 34 are up and people can see the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about American history," he said.

The case will continue through the legal process, which includes written briefs and oral arguments. Coard said he expects the case to eventually reach the Supreme Court of the United States.

"Unfortunately, no matter who wins or who loses, I'm quite sure this case is going up to the U.S. Supreme Court," he said.

In a statement, the U.S. Department of the Interior said: "By telling the full story... we strengthen our shared understanding and ensure that future generations inherit not just the land we love, but the truth of the journey that brought us here."

There is no timeline for a final ruling.