Philadelphia Throws 250th Birthday Party, Guests Fight Over Cake Flavor

KEY POINTS

•A federal judge denied the Trump administration's request to pause restoration of slavery exhibits in February 2026 in Philadelphia.
•Visit Philadelphia launched the yearlong Indivisible campaign to highlight Black history as central to the 250th nation celebration.
•The dispute reflects a wider national issue about how institutions present slavery and racial history in public spaces.

Philadelphia is gearing up to celebrate America's 250th independence anniversary with fireworks and finely curated controversy. The Trump administration fought to shutter slavery exhibits at the President's House, where nine enslaved souls of George Washington quietly protested historical omission. On February 16, 2026, a federal judge denied Trump’s emergency stay request, letting National Park Service restore the exhibits a month after their politically motivated blackout. Meanwhile, Visit Philadelphia's CEO Angela Val, with no crystal ball and zero forklift for political drama, launched 'Indivisible,' a yearlong campaign proudly featuring Black history as foundational, not afterthought — because who knew slavery should be mentioned at a nation founded on freedom? Tour guide Mijuel Johnson notes Philly’s 33% Black population has never left since 1780, much to tourists' surprise. Historian Deborah D. Douglas emphasizes that ‘erasure equals discomfort management,’ sadly a modern American pastime.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Celebrating 250 years of 'liberty' while some want to hide slavery exhibits proves America really knows how to throw a nostalgic, selective memory party.

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