The Trump administration is ordering national parks to remove a famous Civil War-era photo of an enslaved man’s scarred back, as well as references to slavery and racism. The removals continue the administration’s policy of censoring American history to downplay the history of slavery, racism and other forms of oppression and discrimination.
Trump orders removal of famous Civil War-era ‘Scourged Back’ photo
“The Scourged Back” photo depicts a formerly enslaved man known as Peter Gordon, also referred to as “Whipped Peter,” is among the signs and exhibits related to slavery ordered for removal. The picture was originally published by Harper’s Weekly on July 4, 1863, during the Civil War. The image depicted the brutality of slavery at a time when the country was divided over the issue as the war continued. Gordon escaped from a Louisiana plantation and later joined the Union Army. Will Smith starred as the man depicted in the photo in the 2023 film Emancipation.
The photo was a prominent piece of abolitionist material during the war and has continued to be a significant reference point for efforts to combat anti-Black racism. The New Yorker included the photo as part of a collage image of George Floyd for its June 22, 2020, issue. Also in 2020, photographer Dario Calmese evoked “The Scourged Back” in a photo of Viola Davis for Vanity Fair magazine. Calmese became the first Black photographer to have their work featured on the magazine’s cover.
The Trump administration is removing references to slavery from national parks
The removal of “The Scourged Back” is part of a broader Trump administration campaign to erase references to slavery and racism from national parks, according to The Washington Post. The review aims to remove content that has been deemed inconsistent with a March executive order issued by President Donald Trump, which targets “corrosive ideology” in institutions such as museums and national parks. The review has targeted exhibits, signs and even gift shop items for potential removal.
At Harper’s Ferry National Historic Park in West Virginia, where abolitionist John Brown launched one of the largest anti-slavery rebellions in the United States in 1859, more than 30 signs have been flagged as violating Trump’s order. A location in Philadelphia that once housed enslaved individuals of George Washington has also been flagged for material deemed out of compliance with the executive order. This latest review follows the White House’s launch of an extensive review of materials displayed by the Smithsonian Institution last month, also based on the March executive order. References to Black individuals and other minority groups have also been removed from various military facilities, such as the United States Naval Academy.
Together, these policies represent an effort to distort American history, downplaying the horrors of slavery and the legacy of anti-Black racism in the country. With national parks now under scrutiny, Trump’s whitewashing efforts do not appear to be slowing.
