Concerned citizens in the Philadelphia area met on Wednesday night to discuss an action plan if the Trump administration were to remove a memorial for slavery at the President’s House Site at Independence Mall.
The packed town hall, which was held at the Zion Baptist Church in North Philadelphia, was in response to President Donald Trump signing an executive order that put the memorial at 6th and Market Street up for review.
The memorial honors the nine enslaved people brought by President George Washington when he moved to Philadelphia to serve as America’s first president in the late 1700s.
“In this day and age, where we are celebrating as much diverse history as possible it seems quite ignorant to take that stand because that is history,” said Rosalyn McPherson, a member of Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, the group that organized the town hall.
Michael Coard, another member of the coalition, told NBC10 that it is patriotic to know the full history of the country.
“In order to be a patriotic American, you have to know America. The good, the bad and the ugly. And that is part of the ugly,” Coard said.
“That host story needed to be told, and we are here tonight to resist the president act to censor and white wash American history,” Coard added.
McPherson said keeping the memorial is crucial, especially with many visitors traveling to Philly in 2026 for the World Cup, as well as the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
“What is going to take place in 2026, and, Visit Philly does not want this removed,” she said. “That is a part of the American 250th story.”
The coalition says they are prepared to take political and legal action to preserve the memorial if it is removed.
NBC10 reached out to the National Park Service, which oversees the site, but did not get a response.
The deadline for a decision on the memorial’s removal is Sept. 17, 2025.