CHANCES START TO GO BACK UP. I’LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. FIGHT, FIGHT. BECAUSE WHEN WE FIGHT, WE WIN. ON THIS PRESIDENT’S DAY, CROWDS GATHERED AT THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE ON SIXTH AND MARKET STREET IN PHILADELPHIA TO PROTEST IN A FIGHT TO RESTORE SEVERAL SLAVERY EXHIBITS. AND TODAY, A FEDERAL JUDGE RULED THAT THE EXHIBITS REMOVAL WAS UNLAWFUL. IT’S A FIGHT THAT’S BEEN GOING ON FOR NEARLY A MONTH. AND NEWS EIGHT’S MICHAEL FULLER IS HERE WITH REACTION FROM PROTESTERS. ALSO FROM RIGHT HERE IN SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY MICHAEL. YEAH, THERE’S BEEN A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH OF WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT. AND THAT EXHIBIT HONORED THE LIVES OF NINE SLAVES HELD BY GEORGE WASHINGTON AT THE NATIONAL LANDMARK. AND THE RULING COMING DOWN FROM A FEDERAL JUDGE, SAYS THE EXHIBIT SHOULD BE REINSTATED. SO, ACCORDING TO FEDERAL JUDGE CYNTHIA RUFE, WHO ISSUED THE RULING, SHE SAYS THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE REPRESENTS THE CITY FULFILLING AN OBLIGATION TO TELL THE TRUTH. THE WHOLE COMPLICATED TRUTH. REMOVAL OF CRUCIAL INTERPRETIVE MATERIALS STRIPS THE SITE OF THAT TRUTH. NOW, THIS ALL STARTED BACK ON JANUARY 22ND, WHEN NATIONAL PARK SERVICE WORKERS TORE DOWN 34 SLAVERY PANELS WITHOUT NOTICE. THAT LED TO A LAWSUIT AND HEARING, WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA. NOW, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT LAWYERS ARGUED THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS THE RIGHT TO EXPRESS ITS VIEWS ON THESE SUBJECTS. BUT THE JUDGE SAID UNILATERAL CHANGES AT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION MADE AT INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ACTUALLY VIOLATED FEDERAL LAW AND LONG AGREEMENTS REQUIRING CONSENT OF BOTH THE CITY AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND TODAY, PROTESTERS SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE RULING. AND BACK IN LANCASTER, FOLKS SAY THAT EVEN WITH THIS RULING, THEIR FIGHT IS STILL NOT OVER. IT’S NO OTHER BLESSING THAT WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN TODAY BEYOND THIS. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE. WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS OF THE PROTESTERS AND ALSO THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF THE JUDGE, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE STAND ON, YOU KNOW, EDUCATING OURSELVES. YES, THAT THAT IS OUR DIRECTION TO GO IN BECAUSE WE’VE BEEN UNDER POSITION IN THIS COUNTRY AS AFRICAN AMERICANS FOR, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF YEARS OF BEING SO MISEDUCATED BY A SYSTEM THAT WAS NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN EDUCATING US PROPERLY. AND THE CITY AND ORGANIZATIONS EXPECT AN APPEAL FROM
Philadelphia protesters celebrate ruling to restore slavery exhibits
Updated: 10:20 PM EST Feb 16, 2026
On President’s Day, crowds gathered at the President’s House on 6th and Market Street in Philadelphia to protest the removal of slavery exhibits, and a federal judge ruled that the removal was unlawful, stating that the exhibits should be reinstated.Federal Judge Cynthia Rufe issued the ruling, saying, “The President’s House represents the City ‘fulfilling an obligation to tell the truth, the whole complicated truth.’ Removal of crucial interpretive materials strips the site of that truth.” The controversy began on Jan. 22 when National Park Service workers removed 34 slavery panels without notice, leading to a lawsuit and hearing.Community groups, alongside the city of Philadelphia, fought against the removal.Violation of federal law and longstanding agreementsJustice Department lawyers argued that the federal government has the right to express its views on these subjects, but the judge said unilateral changes made by the Trump Administration at Independence National Historical Park violated federal law and longstanding agreements requiring consent from both the city and federal government.Appreciation and gratitude for the rulingProtesters shared their thoughts on the ruling, with Michael Coard from the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition saying, “There’s no other blessing that we could have gotten today beyond this. It’s the ultimate.”Nelson Polite Jr., president of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the protesters and the consciousness of the judge.”We appreciate the efforts of the protesters and also the consciousness of the judge. And we appreciate that. But once again, we stand on, you know, educating ourselves. Yeah, that that is our direction to go. Because we’ve been in this position in this country, as African Americans for, you know, number of years of being so miseducated by a system that, it was not really interested in educating us properly,” he said.
PHILADELPHIA —
On President’s Day, crowds gathered at the President’s House on 6th and Market Street in Philadelphia to protest the removal of slavery exhibits, and a federal judge ruled that the removal was unlawful, stating that the exhibits should be reinstated.
Federal Judge Cynthia Rufe issued the ruling, saying, “The President’s House represents the City ‘fulfilling an obligation to tell the truth, the whole complicated truth.’ Removal of crucial interpretive materials strips the site of that truth.”
The controversy began on Jan. 22 when National Park Service workers removed 34 slavery panels without notice, leading to a lawsuit and hearing.
Community groups, alongside the city of Philadelphia, fought against the removal.
Violation of federal law and longstanding agreements
Justice Department lawyers argued that the federal government has the right to express its views on these subjects, but the judge said unilateral changes made by the Trump Administration at Independence National Historical Park violated federal law and longstanding agreements requiring consent from both the city and federal government.
Appreciation and gratitude for the ruling
Protesters shared their thoughts on the ruling, with Michael Coard from the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition saying, “There’s no other blessing that we could have gotten today beyond this. It’s the ultimate.”
Nelson Polite Jr., president of the African American Historical Society of South Central Pennsylvania, expressed appreciation for the efforts of the protesters and the consciousness of the judge.
“We appreciate the efforts of the protesters and also the consciousness of the judge. And we appreciate that. But once again, we stand on, you know, educating ourselves. Yeah, that that is our direction to go. Because we’ve been in this position in this country, as African Americans for, you know, number of years of being so miseducated by a system that, it was not really interested in educating us properly,” he said.