04/08/2025

Following Outcry, National Park Service Restores Underground Railroad Webpage

It appeared to restore text on the history of African Americans escaping slavery

The U.S. National Park Service on Monday appeared to restore its original webpage on the history of the Underground Railroad after it was met with backlash for deleting a prominently featured photo of abolitionist and women’s suffragist Harriet Tubman, as well as segments of text describing the horrors of slavery.

The changes were first reported by The Washington Post on Sunday. President Donald Trump issued an executive order late last month directing the Smithsonian Institution to eliminate "divisive narratives" — a move that spurred fears that his administration aimed to whitewash American history. Trump has also broadly pushed to remove what he has called “the tyranny” of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) policies at U.S. schools, universities and other institutions.

Part of the restored text describes the 18^th- and 19^th-century Underground Railroad as "efforts of enslaved African Americans to gain their freedom by escaping bondage." Tubman was one of the system's best-known "conductors."

Please select this link to read the complete article from The Washington Post.