q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
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
What's New!
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.

✊🏾

Civil Rights

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

⚙️

Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

🏆

Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

♟️

People

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

📍

Places

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

📜

Events

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

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
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.

MORE →
BLACK FACTS
The Truths They Never Taught You...

Wilmington 1898 — An American Coup

Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
NMAAHC

Press kit for the film The Flying Ace

Date
1926
Published by
Norman Studios, American, 1920 - 1928
Subject of
John L. Criner, American, 1898 - 1965
Kathryn Boyd, American, 1897 - 1965
Steve Reynolds, American, 1892 - 1945
Boise De Legge, American
George Colvin, American, born 1864
Lions Daniels, American
Sam Jordan
Bessie Coleman, American, 1892 - 1926
Caption
In this 1926 film, black fighter pilot Captain Billy Stokes, played by Laurence Criner, returns home from World War I a hero and resumes his civilian career as a railroad detective. The role of pilot Ruth Sawtelle, played by Kathryn Boyd, is inspired by aviator Bessie Coleman. Coleman had been in talks with race film studio Norman Productions to star in a film about her life when she was killed during a flight in Jacksonville, Florida.
Description
Press kit for the film The Flying Ace. The front of the press kit features a window card for the film. It is white with black text at the top and black-and-white images from the movie on the bottom. The top of the card reads [Coming to this Theatre / The Flying Ace / The Greatest Airplane Mystery Story Ever Filmed / A Brilliant Professional Cast Featuring]. Below this text is a list of the featured actors followed by short biographies of each. The actors listed are Lawrence Criner, Kathryn Boyd, George Colvin, Boise De Legge, Lions Daniels, Sam Jordan and Steve Reynolds. Below these biographies is an image montage showing a man and a woman, airplanes, a man in a parachute, men standing by airplanes and a large image of a man wearing a uniform. Black text below the image reads [ALL COLORED CAST] and [SIX SMASHING REELS]. On the top of the back of the press kit is a brief description of the film and a summary on how they filmed it. It begins [THE SENSATION OF THE YEAR IS HERE / The FLYING ACE Marks Another Epoch in Colored Picture Production]. The bottom of the back has advertisements for other movies produced by Norman Studios and a black-and-white image of the Norman Studios production lot. Printed in the bottom left corner is [THE SENSATION / OF THE YEAR IS HERE / The Flying Ace / A Super Feature with an / All Colored Cast / In Six Reels]. Also on the bottom are instructions for mail carriers.
Place used
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Actors
Film
Race films
U.S. History, 1919-1933
World War I
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
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
2019.22.17
Type
press kits
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 22 1/16 × 13 7/8 in. (56 × 35.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Press kit for the film The Flying Ace
Record ID
nmaahc_2019.22.17
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PRESS KIT FOR THE FILM THE FLYING ACE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s • 1914-1918
Name
Norman Studios • Daniels, Lions • Reynolds, Steve • Jordan, Sam • Coleman, Bessie • Colvin, George • Criner, John L. • Boyd, Kathryn • De Legge, Boise
Place
United States • North and Central America
Topic
U.S. History, 1919-1933 • WW I • World War, 1914-1918 • Actors and actresses • Race films • Motion pictures
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Press kits
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

Clock used by the Citizen's Savings and Trust Company

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

Trophy awarded to the Texas Southern University Debate Team

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

Press kit for the film The Flying Ace

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
NMAAHC

Herald for The Flying Ace

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
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.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

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

Madam C.J. Walker