Preserving History/Bearing Witness

By Roberta Brooks -Steering Committee Member. Coalition4Justice

As we prepare to acknowledge the 250th Anniversary of America, this anniversary will be a time of reflection, a time to review how our country emerged, where we have been, where we are now, and our hopes for the future of America.

In Philadelphia, the year began with the removal of the historical plaques on the site of Washington's House on the Independence mall. In January, the plaques detailing the complex history of slavery in Philadelphia were removed by the current Administration. In February, our city successfully sued the Administration and some of the plaques have been restored. However, the Administration counter-sued and further restoration of the plaques has remained on hold. On June 2, a hearing in Philadelphia was held as to whether to uphold a lower court ruling that required the National Park Service to return the panels to the site of Washington's House. We await the outcome of the proceedings. Against the backdrop of the legal efforts to restore the history contained in the missing plaques, Philadelphians have come forward to keep our history alive.

Not all plaques have been returned. Some were damaged during the removal process.

A grassroots effort , "Old City Remembers" emerged at the beginning of this year. The voices that were silenced by the removal of the historical plaques have re-emerged through the work of "Old City Remembers." This grass roots organization affords volunteers the opportunity to stand at the historic site of Washington's House on the Independence Mall and read aloud the missing text for all to hear.

The orientation process to become a volunteer is efficient and informative. The expressed purpose of the project is " to bear persistent witness to the history of slavery in our nation, in the city of Philadelphia and in particular on the site of The President's House on Independence Mall. " You can learn more about the project and how to complete the onboarding process to become a reader at https://oldcityremembers.com/

Dr. Bernadine Ahonkhai, CEO and Founder of The Coalition4Justice (on the right) and Roberta Brooks, Steering Committee Member of The Coalition for Justice prepare to read at the site.

Coalition4Justice is proud to support the "Old City Remembers" project. I am grateful for the opportunity be a part of the community of readers organized by "Old City Remembers. Please consider joining us.

As our county's 250th Anniversary is quickly approaching, what better way to honor our county than by keeping our history alive? The impact of the project is spreading beyond Philadelphia: See Rachel Maddow's broadcast of June 1, here.