Philadelphia Archaeological Forum

The Trump administration has launched a broad attack on how public institutions present history. Among other things, Executive Order 14253, titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History”, directs the removal of interpretive material that “…inappropriately disparage Americans past or living”. As a direct result of the order, on January 22nd, 2026, the National Park Service removed the interpretive panels at the President’s House Site, including those explaining the archaeological ruins and the public’s engagement with the 2007 excavations.

In response to this attempt to whitewash history, the City of Philadelphia (with Avenging the Ancestors Coalition [ATAC] and The Black Journey later filing a motion to intervene)  filed a suit in federal court seeking to have the interpretive material restored to the site.  On the February 16^th the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted a preliminary injunction ordering the restoration of the site pending the outcome of the case. Following partial restoration of the materials to the site the federal government has appealed this injunction to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

An ad hoc group of archaeologists, historians and others with an interest in how history is presented filed an Amici curiae (“friends of the court”) brief on April 27th, asking the Appeals Court to reject the federal government’s appeal and affirm the lower court’s preliminary injunction requiring the restoration of the site. All Rise Trial & Appellate, a public interest law firm, provided pro bono representation for this filing. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who agreed to sign on to the brief. Despite the brief time we had to gather them, we were able to garner thirty-one signatories.

A huge thank is due to attorneys Jim Davy and Chelsea Stine of All Rise Trial & Appellate, a public interest law firm, who make our filing possible. Thanks are also due to Sharon Ann Holt, Randall Miller and Patrice Jeppson, who helped in developing the brief and in recruiting signatories.

The final version of the amicus brief is attached. We are in illustrious company. Friend of the court briefs have also been filed by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, the Senate Democratic Caucus of the Senate of Pennsylvania, the American Historical Association, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester and Delaware Counties (Pennsylvania), Professor Adam Rothman, and Avenging the Ancestors Coalition and The Black Journey.

Currently, oral arguments on the federal government’s appeal to block the lower court’s preliminary injunction requiring the full restoration of the uncensored exhibit material at the President’s House Site are due to be heard by the Third Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals on June 2^nd.

Undoubtedly, there will be many ups and downs before there is a resolution to this case and to the larger matter of the exhibits at the President’s House. The national fight to overturn the pernicious nationwide effects of Executive Order 14253 is likely to be at least as protracted. Whatever the final outcome, as we continue the fight for a full and honest reckoning with our complicated and sometime dark history, let us take a moment to appreciate that, by signing on to this brief, we have raised our voices in support of that ultimate goal.

Jed Levin

National Park Service (Retired)

Vice President, Philadelphia Archaeological Forum