"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."
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The removal aligns with Trump's campaign to dismantle diversity initiatives and alter how federally funded institutions present American history.
The executive order directed the Interior Department to prevent historic sites from showing exhibits that "disparage Americans past or living."
A Department of Interior spokesperson said the new panels "acknowledge the evils of slavery, including its injustices and hypocrisies, and remind us of their essential humanity."
One panel summarizes Washington's unease with slavery, while another claims enslaved people at the residence experienced greater autonomy than elsewhere in the South.
Philadelphia attorney Michael Coard, founder of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition, rejected the idea of autonomy during enslavement.
"People should really be afraid. This is always the first step to fascism," Coard said.
He noted the city still has legal avenues, including requesting reconsideration from the Third Circuit or appealing to the US Supreme Court.
Matt Hall, a Temple University professor and founder of Old City Remembers, expressed disappointment but vowed to continue preserving the original history.
His group has deployed over 100 volunteers with informational packets at the site.
"Now is not the time to roll over and let them get away with rewriting history," Hall said.
Artist and activist Alyssa Bigbee, a volunteer with Avenging the Ancestors, said, "I'm disgusted that the administration is choosing to hide history, but the truth is, you can't erase it.
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History will remember that we had cowards in office and brave people who continued to fight."
