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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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

Broadside advertising "Valuable Slaves at Auction" in New Orleans

Date
February 3, 1859
Issued by
C. E. Girardey, French, born 1812
Subject of
Unidentified Child or Children
Unidentified Man or Men
Unidentified Woman or Women
Description
A broadside for the auction of twenty enslaved men, women, and children at the City Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Large text printed in black ink at the top reads [VALUABLE / SLAVES / AT AUCTION, / AT THE CITY HOTEL COMMON ST. / BY C.E. GIRARDEY & CO., Office No. 6 Banks' Arcade]. Below this, it gives the date of the sale as [THURSDAY, Feb. 3, 1859] and lists the names, ages and skills of the enslaved individuals for sale:
[1. ISAM, black, aged about 40 years, a superior engineer and blacksmith has worked over 20 years with the late Wm. Chapman; is well known for character and qualification throughout the Parish of St. James.
2. JOHN, griffe, aged 24 years, a No. 1 carpenter and ship caulker.
3. TOM, black, aged 24 years, a No. 1 blacksmith and machinist.
4. ALEXANDER, mulatto, aged 28 years, a No. 1 stone cutter.
5. STEPHEN, black, aged 24 years, field hand.
6. EDWARD, black, aged 14 years, field hand.
7. JACK, black, aged 21 years, field hand.
8. GEORGE, mulatto, aged 30 years, house and confidential servant.
9. JAROTT, black aged 25 years, field hand.
10. MADORA, black, aged 18 years, extra likely.
11. MATILDA, black, aged 17 years, good cook, washer and ironer.
12. PAULINE, black, aged 13 years, speaks French and English, good house girl and child’s nurse.
13. BETSY, black, aged 12 years, house girl.
14. PHOEBY, black, aged 20 years, extra likely.
15. MARY, black, aged 25 years, superior washer and ironer.
16. CLARISSY, black, aged 40 years, field hand.
17. MARY, black, aged 80 years, cook, washer and ironer.
18. MARY JANE, black, aged 30 years, field hand.
19. PHILUS, black, aged 30 years, good cook, washer and ironer, and her child aged 2 years.]
Beneath the listing, the text notes the sale will include [Several other Plantation Hands] and that the terms are cash. Along the very bottom is [The slaves may be seen at the office of the Auctioneers] in between two small icons of pointing hands. The sheet has been adhered to a stiff piece of paper as a backing. There are no marks or inscriptions on the verso.
Place used
New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Agriculture
American South
Business
Commerce
Domestic slave trade
Fancy Girl trade
Skilled labor
Slavery
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
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
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.63.16
Type
broadsides
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W: 16 1/8 × 7 5/8 in. (41 × 19.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Broadside advertising "Valuable Slaves at Auction" in New Orleans
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.63.16
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BROADSIDE ADVERTISING "VALUABLE SLAVES AT AUCTION" IN NEW ORLEANS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1850s
Name
Girardey, C. E.
Place
Orleans Parish • United States • North and Central America • Louisiana • New Orleans
Topic
Slavery • Women • Fancy Girl trade • American South • Skilled labor • Agriculture • Domestic slave trade • Business
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Slavery and Freedom
Geo Location
City • New Orleans • County • Orleans Parish • State • Louisiana • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Broadsides (notices)
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

Carte-de-visite of A. G. Cowery

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NMAAHC

Pinback button reading “Black Folk Must Vote”

Date: Date

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NMAAHC

Broadside advertising "Valuable Slaves at Auction" in New Orleans

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Notice of an impending sheriff's sale of 7 enslaved persons

Date: Date

Description

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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 was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker