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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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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...

Ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century

Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Details recorded here should be sourced; unknown information is left blank.

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

Bentwood armchair from a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Date
late 19th-early 20th century
Manufactured by
Unidentified
Owned by
Vanessa Adams-Harris
Snow's Consignment Store, American, founded 1995
Unidentified Woman or Women
Description
A bentwood armchair purportedly belonging to a black church in Tulsa that was looted during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The chair has curved arm rests. The arm rests are attached to the chair back and seat with oval-shaped, metal cleats. Both uprights at the sides of the chair back are also attached to the seat and to the top rail. The chair back has seven (7) rungs at the back. The chair also has two (2) horizontal rungs on the proper left and proper right sides, connecting the proper left and proper right legs. There are two (2) additional rungs at the back connecting the rear legs. At the front is only one (1) rung at the top between the front legs. The chair seat is a square shape with curved corners. The seat is has been slightly molded towards the back to support the sitter. The chair back curves out toward the arm rests.
Place collected
Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American West
Christianity
Race relations
Race riots
Religion
Segregation
Tulsa Race Massacre
U.S. History, 1919-1933
Violence
Worship services
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
Exhibition
Power of Place
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 051
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Vanessa Adams-Harris, citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.22
Type
armchairs
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood and metal
Dimensions
H x W x D: 38 1/2 × 20 1/2 × 17 3/4 in. (97.8 × 52.1 × 45.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Bentwood armchair from a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.22
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BENTWOOD ARMCHAIR FROM A CHURCH IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1930s • 1870s
Name
Snow's Consignment Store • Adams-Harris, Vanessa
Place
United States • Oklahoma • North and Central America • Tulsa County • Tulsa
Topic
U.S. History, 1919-1933 • American West • Segregation • Violence • Race riots • Religion • Tulsa Race Massacre • Worship services • Race relations
Culture
Christians • African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Power of Place
Geo Location
City • Tulsa • County • Tulsa County • State • Oklahoma • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Armchairs
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

Armchairs used on The Oprah Winfrey Show

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NMAAHC

Mission style armchair from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

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Description

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NMAAHC

Bentwood armchair from a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Wicker armchair from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

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

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

The Greenwood District.