February Black History Month 2026

"On January 22, 2026, the National Park Service (NPS) removed the "Freedom and Slavery in the Making of the Nation" exhibit from the President's House site at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia. The exhibit, which opened in 2010, detailed the lives of nine enslaved people in the household of President George Washington."

borm 1748 in Va. died 1812 Hercules Posey was held in slavery at the plantation of George Washington. He was brought to Philadelphia to cook at the president's mansion. He was a renowned chef who served faithfully until at one point after some perceived transgression he was demoted to field labor. He escaped and lived free in New York City for some time, until he was manumitted by Washington's weill in 1801. Another excaped slave named Oney Judge or Ona Sudge Staines, born 1773 escaped and ived free until her 75th year when she died. Washington kept slae catchers after her throughout her life, but she was never caught and a book called "Never Caught" was written about her, author Erica Armstrong, published 2019.

Trump can take down the markers but we can keep the memory alive in our hearts and on our blogs and in our discussion groups! Happy Trails wrightj45@yahoo.com