Insight Pt. 1: Examining the Controversy re: Slavery and the President's House

On Part One of Insight, Loraine Ballard Morrill speaks with Roger C. Aden, Charles E. Zumkehr Professor of Speech Communication at Ohio University and author of Upon the Ruins of Liberty: Slavery, the President’s House at Independence National Historical Park, and Public Memory.Aden’s book chronicles the years-long effort to ensure that the President’s House site in Philadelphia told not only the story of George Washington as the nation’s first president, but also the stories of the nine people he enslaved there. That history has taken on new urgency following changes to the President’s House exhibit that critics say diminish its focus on slavery and the experiences of the people Washington enslaved. Aden discusses the community advocacy that helped shape the original exhibit, why the full story of Washington must include both his role as a founder and as an enslaver, and what happens when government officials determine which parts of history receive greater—or lesser—emphasis. As America marks its 250th anniversary, the conversation explores the meaning of public memory, the importance of confronting difficult history, and the responsibility historians, educators and ordinary citizens share in preserving a complete and honest account of the American story.Learn More:Upon the Ruins of Liberty — Temple University PressRoger Aden — Ohio University faculty profile