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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

Multicolor wax print Boubou and pants

Date
1980s - 1990s
Created by
Gonfreville, African, 1921 - 1980
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Owned by
Dr. Robert LaPrince, American, 1945 - 1994
Description
(a) A geometric wax print Boubou (a) and high waisted pants (b). The Boubou is made from an entire width of wax printed plain weave cotton fabric, including the selvedge. The fabric features an all-over geometric pattern with vertical strip patterns, dots, and diamonds. The featured colors are green, black, beige, white, and red. There are no shoulder seams. The width of fabric has been folded over horizontally and seamed halfway down the sides to create armholes. There is a V-neckline with decorative black machine top stitching around it. Below the neckline is a center front pocket measuring 12.75” x 11”. It is made from one panel of self-fabric and has the same decorative machine stitching as the neckline. The brand label [GONFREVILLE] is printed on the proper right selvedge in beige text. The back of the Boubou mirrors the front construction, except there is no center pocket. There is ½” hem on the garment. All the interior seams are finished. The inside of the neckline is lined with self-fabric. A layer of non-woven interfacing is sandwiched in between both layers of cotton.
(b) High waisted pants with geometric wax print. The pants are made from the same cotton plain weave wax printed fabric as the Boubou. They have a high waist and a tapered leg. The 2.5” width waist band is made form one panel of cotton fabric with four belt .75” belt loops, equidistantly spaced around the waist. There are two pleats on either side of the waist band. The waistband closes with two sets of metal snap buttons and a 6” metal zipper with metal teeth. There is one slit pocket at each side of the waist. Each pant leg is made from two panels of fabric – one for the front and one for the back, seamed at the inner and outer leg. One panel of elastic is sewn to the back waistband. There is one 6.75” x 6.75” back pocket on the proper right side with a flap that closes with a metal snap closure. The inside of the pants are unlined and each pocket is lined with self-fabric. There is a 1” machine stitched hem on the bottom of each pant leg.
Cataloging Notes
This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Place made
Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, Africa
Topic
African American
Africa
African diaspora
Clothing and dress
Fashion
Fashion design
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2007.3.662ab
Type
boubous
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
cotton with elastic and metal
Dimensions
a: boubou
Length (a: shoulder to hem): 49 1/2 in. (125.7 cm)
Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 41 in. (104.1 cm)
b: pants
Length (b: waist to hem): 42 in. (106.7 cm)
Waist (b: flat): 14 in. (35.6 cm)
Inseam (b): 29 1/4 in. (74.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Multicolor wax print Boubou and pants
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.662ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
MULTICOLOR WAX PRINT BOUBOU AND PANTS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1980s
Name
LaPrince, Robert • Gonfreville • Black Fashion Museum
Place
West Africa • Côte d'Ivoire • Abidjan
Topic
African diaspora • Design • Clothing and dress • Fashion
Culture
African Americans • Africans
Geo Location
City • Abidjan • Country • Côte d'Ivoire • Region • West Africa • Continent • Africa
Type
boubous
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.

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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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.