National Park Service Removal of Iconic “Scourged Back” Photo Sparks Outrage Over Erasing Black History

The National Park Service’s removal of “The Scourged Back,” the historic photograph of Peter Gordon—a formerly enslaved man—has drawn sharp backlash from Black communities and historians. President Trump ordered a review of institutions like the National Portrait Gallery, insisting that “interpretive materials that disproportionately emphasize negative aspects of U.S. history… can unintentionally distort understanding.” His March directive labeled slavery-focused exhibits as “inherently harmful and oppressive,” stating, “Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination.”

For generations, Gordon’s image—first printed in Harper’s Weekly in 1863—has stood as unflinching evidence of slavery’s violence. A journalist at the time wrote, “This Card Photograph should be multiplied by 100,000 and scattered over the States. It tells the story in a way that even Mrs. [Harriet Beecher] Stowe cannot approach, because it tells the story to the eye.” Historians have long used the photograph as “compelling visual proof of slavery’s brutality,” essential for educating students and prompting meaningful dialogue.

Alan Spears of the National Parks Conservation Association condemned the decision as “shameful,” stressing that “expert historians at the National Park Service… painstakingly selected and contextualized [this photo] to help park visitors understand the role slavery has played in our history.” He warned that a process completed “in a matter of weeks” disregarded scholarly work and weakened educational efforts. Further, 30 interpretive signs at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park—site of John Brown’s uprising—have been flagged as “out of compliance.”

Trump amplified his criticism of Washington institutions, calling the Smithsonian “OUT OF CONTROL. Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future,” adding, “This Country cannot be WOKE, because WOKE IS BROKE.”

Link: The Hill