The ACLU of West Virginia condemns the Trump administration's removal of exhibits that reference slavery from Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. This government-mandated historical amnesia is an injustice to the people who suffered under the conditions of chattel slavery, those who fought to bring an end to it, and all who have made it their mission to preserve the memory of this shameful time in our nation’s history.
“By sanitizing the brutal realities of slavery, the administration denies visitors the complete historical context necessary for informed citizenship in a democracy,” ACLU-WV Executive Director Eli Baumwell said. “Until this week, visitors to Harpers Ferry had the chance to learn about slavery and the struggle to end that evil institution as part of our local and national history by visiting this historical site. Attempts to re-write hard-to-face parts of our history is the work of propagandists, not public servants.”
According to news outlets, the Trump Administration has ordered the removal of the exhibits that reference slavery on the grounds that they promote a “corrosive ideology” that “disparages historic Americans.” The administration also asked park visitors to report the parks they are visiting for potential violations of his executive order.
ACLU-WV Advocacy Director Rusty Williams said, “While it’s not surprising that the administration would rather try to erase history than right the wrongs created by it, this move is deeply insulting to all West Virginians, especially Black West Virginians who were subjected to the cruelties of slavery.”