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GREENWOOD / BLACK WALL STREET WILMINGTON 1898 LITTLE ROCK NINE TUSKEGEE STUDY ROSEWOOD 1923 THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SENECA VILLAGE BLACK TOWNS GREENWOOD / BLACK WALL STREET WILMINGTON 1898 LITTLE ROCK NINE TUSKEGEE STUDY ROSEWOOD 1923 THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SENECA VILLAGE BLACK TOWNS
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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

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People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

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Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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MY'STORY

The MOVE Fire

This is a personal recollection on the Move fire on May 13, 1985 Philadelphia police fired thousands of rounds at the MOVE house, city officials approved dropping an explosive device on the roof, the resulting fire was allowed to burn, 11 people—including five children—died, and 61 homes were destroyed. Philadelphia City Council later called it a “brutal attack carried out by the City of Philadelphia on its own citizens” and acknowledged that no individual faced criminal consequences for the bombing. One timeline correction worth preserving for the BHP record: the major previous MOVE-police confrontation was August 8, 1978, about seven years before the bombing, not a year or two earlier. Officer James Ramp was killed, other police and firefighters were wounded, nine MOVE members were later convicted, and television cameras recorded police beating Delbert Africa during his arrest. The 1985 MOVE Commission later specifically criticized city planners for failing to adequately use lessons from that 1978 confrontation. And that actually strengthens the point you’re making: 1985 did not happen without precedent or institutional memory. There had already been a deadly confrontation with MOVE, years of conflict, negotiations and police involvement before Osage Avenue.

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BLACK FACTS
The Truths They Never Taught You...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Silk lace and linen shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria

Date
ca. 1897
Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Harriet Tubman, American, 1822 - 1913
Caption
Harriet Tubman escaped the bonds of slavery as a young woman in the early 1800s. She returned to the South many times as a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad to lead other African Americans to freedom. During the Civil War, Tubman served as a spy, nurse, and cook for Union Forces. In 1863, she helped free more than 700 African Americans during a raid in South Carolina - a feat that earned her the nickname "General Tubman." England's Queen Victoria gave Tubman this shawl around 1897.
From Changing America: The Emancipation Proclamation, 1863, and the March on Washington, 1963.
Description
A white, square-shaped shawl made of silk lace and linen, given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria around 1897.
Place used
Auburn, Cayuga County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place depicted
England, Europe
Topic
African American
Activism
Clothing and dress
Emancipation
Freedom
Slavery
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Charles L. Blockson
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2009.50.39
Type
shawls
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silk lace and linen
Dimensions
H x W: 36 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. (92.7 x 72.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Silk lace and linen shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria
Record ID
nmaahc_2009.50.39
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
SILK LACE AND LINEN SHAWL GIVEN TO HARRIET TUBMAN BY QUEEN VICTORIA
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1900s • 1890s
Name
Tubman, Harriet
Place
New York • United States • North and Central America • Europe • England • Auburn • Cayuga County
Topic
Slavery • Activism • Clothing and dress • Emancipation • Freedom
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Slavery and Freedom
Geo Location
City • Auburn • County • Cayuga County • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • Country • England • Continent • Europe
Type
Shawls
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions

Media

Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Rights and restrictions shown above are supplied by the Smithsonian record.

NMAAHC

Charleston slave badge from 1806 for Porter No. 36

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

T-square tool

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NMAAHC

Envelope addressed to James Baldwin from Alex Haley

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Description

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NMAAHC

Silk lace and linen shawl given to Harriet Tubman by Queen Victoria

Date: Date

Caption

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TOPIC OF THE DAY

Greenwood / Black Wall Street

Before the 1921 destruction of Tulsa’s Greenwood District, Black residents had created a remarkable center of business and community life. The district included stores, professional offices, entertainment venues and homes owned by Black citizens. Understanding Greenwood means learning what was built—not only what was burned.

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TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

Who became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.