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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

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

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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...

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

Photograph of Laura Cathrell, four women, and two men

Date
1935-1960
Photograph by
Unidentified
Subject of
Laura Cathrell, 1914 - 1999
Unidentified Woman or Women
Unidentified Man or Men
Description
A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of a group of five (5) women and two (2) men. The woman in the center of the image is seated on a bar stool and the others in the image are depicted standing around her. She is wearing a light colored overcoat, a choker, and drop earrings. Her head is tilted upwards, her body is slightly turned toward the left side of the image, and her arms are wrapped around a dark garment she is holding in her lap. The man to her right is wearing a dark banded Stetson hat, a white collared shirt, and a light colored jacket. He his proper right hand is on the shoulder of the woman seated at the center of the image, and his other hand on the shoulder of the woman to his right. The woman on his right is wearing a light colored jacket with dark lapels and arm cuffs, a white skirt, black high heel shoes, and she has a small dark handbag draped over her proper right arm. The man on the far right side of the image is standing in profile with his body facing the left edge of the image. He is wearing a checkered collared shirt, light colored sweater, and dark pants. He is holding a cigarette in his proper left hand. One woman stands directly behind the woman seated on the stool in the center of the image, and two women stand on the far left side of the image. The woman on the far left, Laura Cathrell, is partially obscured by a man’s back in the left foreground. She is wearing a light button down jacket and has a fur stole draped over her proper left shoulder. In the foreground are chrome backed barstools and chairs. The wallpaper on the right side of the image is decorated with musical notes. The photographer's mark, stamped in black ink near the lower left corner, reads, [JEROME L[---?] / NEWS PH[---?]]. There are no inscriptions on the front or back of the photograph.
Topic
African American
Entertainers
Nightlife
Photography
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Other
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
2013.46.25.148
Type
gelatin silver prints
portraits
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions
H x W (Image): 9 5/8 × 7 3/4 in. (24.4 × 19.7 cm)
H x W (Sheet): 10 × 8 1/8 in. (25.4 × 20.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photograph of Laura Cathrell, four women, and two men
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.46.25.148
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPH OF LAURA CATHRELL, FOUR WOMEN, AND TWO MEN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1930s • 1960s
Name
Cathrell, Laura
Topic
Nightlife • Photography • Entertainers
Culture
African Americans
Type
Portraits • Photographs
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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

NMAAHC

Barstool with black vinyl cover from Muse Bar, the home bar of Isaiah Muse

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Barstool with red vinyl cover from Muse Bar, the home bar of Isaiah Muse

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Photograph of a man and a group of women

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Photograph of Laura Cathrell, four women, and two men

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