An 1863 photograph entitled "Scourged Back," depicts an enslaved man named Peter with prominent whip scars. Per the Washington Post, the Department of Interior ordered this photo removed from at least one national park in 2025. McPherson and Oliver circa 1863
Related: National Parks Conservation Association Demands Truth: History of Slavery Cannot Be Erased From Our Parks as President Trump’s National Park Service Removes Photo
January 24, 2026 - On Friday, Emily Thompson, Executive Director of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks, released the following statement on the Administration’s ongoing effort to erase American history – and science – at National Parks:
“National parks have a sacred mandate: to preserve and interpret the full breadth of the American experience, the good and the bad. Visitors come not just to witness awe-inspiring landscapes, but to confront the complex, often painful tapestry of our history and our world — the triumphs and the failings. Removing panels titled “Life Under Slavery,” “The Dirty Business of Slavery,” and signs about climate change, as the Administration has done recently, doesn’t make us more patriotic; it makes us ignorant.
“National parks are not propaganda tools nor should they be used for partisan purposes. They exist to preserve and interpret the full American story, not just the parts that make some politicians comfortable.
“Removing signs about climate change doesn’t lessen the threat or change the reality. Erasing history doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it more likely to repeat itself. And harkens back to some very dark and dangerous times in world history.”
The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization made up of over 4,800 members, all of whom are current, former, and retired employees or volunteers of the National Park Service (NPS). Together, they have accumulated over 50,000 years of experience caring for America’s most valuable natural and cultural resources. Our members include former NPS directors, deputy and regional directors, superintendents, park rangers (both law enforcement and interpretive), maintenance and administrative professionals, and many other dedicated career professionals. More information can be found at https://protectnps.org
Source: Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
