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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
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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...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

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

Piano bench from Pilgrim Baptist Church used by Thomas Dorsey

Date
1930s
Used by
Thomas Andrew Dorsey, American, 1899 - 1993
Created by
The Cable Piano Company, American, founded 1880
Description
Wood and vinyl piano bench with the seat as a lid for a storage compartment contained within the bench. Bench seat is covered in a bright orange vinyl material. The bench has four (4) legs that taper down and are capped with metal. The storage compartment inside the bench is divided in half by a small wood rib. The lid of the bench is attached by two (2) hinges on the inside. A small orange paper with a lot number attached to the PL front leg on the outside.
Place used
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Baptist
Communities
Gospel (Music)
Instrumentalists (Musicians)
Religion
The Black Church
Urban life
Worship services
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Musical Instruments
Exhibition
Musical Crossroads
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Rev. Richard C. Keller, Jr., Mr. Edward G. Keller and Ms. Paulene Austin Keller
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.134.2
Type
piano benches
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood , metal and vinyl
Dimensions
19 1/2 x 36 1/2 x 15 1/4 in. (49.5 x 92.7 x 38.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Piano bench from Pilgrim Baptist Church used by Thomas Dorsey
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.134.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PIANO BENCH FROM PILGRIM BAPTIST CHURCH USED BY THOMAS DORSEY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1930s
Name
The Cable Piano Company • Dorsey, Thomas Andrew
Place
Chicago • United States • Illinois • North and Central America • Cook County
Topic
Communities • Religion • Gospel (Music) • The Black Church • Worship services • Instrumentalists (Musicians) • Urban life
Culture
Baptists • African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Musical Crossroads
Geo Location
City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
piano benches
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
Online Media Type
Electronic resource • 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

Piano bench from Pilgrim Baptist Church used by Thomas Dorsey

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Bench with seat cushion from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Piano bench owned and used by Thelonious Monk

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Photographic print of a toddler sitting on a bench

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

Which heavyweight champion was known as the “Brown Bomber”?

Joe Louis.