“The City remains committed to the honest and accurate portrayal of history at the President’s House. A portrayal that was the hard-fought and hard-won result of the effort of countless federal, state, and local officials as well as advocates, including Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, dedicated to telling the truth.  A broad coalition of people who worked together to identify, create, design, fund, and implement the President’s House.  They did not always agree, but together they reached agreement.  They shared a truth that I hold self-evident: you cannot erase American history.

Overnight, under the cover of darkness, the federal government removed panels at the President’s House that told a thorough history of Philadelphia. It was allowed to do this by the decision of the federal court, but that it did so at night shows it understands this action is shameful, that it violates community trust. Which it is, and which it does. But the fight is not over, as we will continue the fight.

The City intends to seek rehearing on serious legal issues presented in the Third Circuit panel’s June 18, 2026 decision. Although the panel rejected the City’s claims, the decision raises important questions about the reviewability of agency conduct, the circumstances in which agency implementation of a formal federal policy constitutes reviewable agency action, and the extent to which an agency may avoid APA review by characterizing concrete implementation decisions as non-final. Those issues are highly consequential, and their significance extends far beyond this case.

We just celebrated the semiquincentennial in Philadelphia.  We celebrated the fact that 250 years ago imperfect humans came together to recognize the universal search for freedom and for dignity, while at the same time these same leaders perpetuated the heinous institution of slavery.  This paradox reveals core questions we still live and struggle with today – how do we share power for the betterment of all people?  That is a hard question, and one that President’s House forced us all to consider.  That it was the product of so many different people coming together to tell this story and ask these questions made it even more powerful.

To my fellow Philadelphians and Americans, please know: I will continue fighting on behalf of everyone who supports the core belief: All of our history must be told.”