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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

Pink strapless evening dress by Ted Lapidus

Date
1998-1999
Description
Pink strapless evening dress by Ted Lapidus. The dress has a strapless fitted bodice with a straight and a shallow "V" back. It is made from pink satin, as is the skirt. Flowers made from variegated purple, yellow, and red synthetic ribbon wrapped into a circle are hand sewn in a scattered design all over the bodice. They are additionally embellished with pink seed beads and copper bugle beads sewn in clusters on the flowers. There are three (3) flowers placed at the proper right front that cascade beyond the bust line and onto the upper section of the skirt. The balloon skirt is made from front and back pieces that are cut in an egg shape with a panel of fabric between them on the sides and then left open at the bottom for the feet. The side panel forms the back waist band of the skirt, with box pleats below at the back waist. There is a flat self-fabric bow sewn at the center back waist below the bodice. The dress closes at the center back with a zipper that extends from the top of the bodice to below the waist. There are four (4) self-fabric covered metal snaps and a placket to close the skirt over the zipper opening, with two of the snaps underneath one side of the bow. There is one (1) hook-and-eye at the top bodice closure.
The bodice and skirt are fully lined in pink plain silk fabric. There is a self-fabric waist band in the interior bodice that fastens at the back with a hook-and-eye. Boning is sewn between the facing and lining around and along the top edge of the bodice. Self-fabric hanger loops are sewn at each side of the interior bodice. A white fabric label with gold embroidered text reading "LAPIDUS / HAUTE COUTURE PARIS" is sewn at the interior proper right back next to the zipper.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Ebony Fashion Fair Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
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
2015.141.41
Type
evening dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silk satin, silk, synthetic ribbon, wire, beads, and metal fasteners
Dimensions
H x W (flat): 53 1/2 × 41 1/4 in. (135.9 × 104.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pink strapless evening dress by Ted Lapidus
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.141.41
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PINK STRAPLESS EVENING DRESS BY TED LAPIDUS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s
Online Media Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions

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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Pink strapless evening dress by Ted Lapidus

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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 became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.