q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
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
What's New!
THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

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

✊🏾

Civil Rights

Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

⚙️

Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

🏆

Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

♟️

People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

📍

Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

📜

Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
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.

MORE →
BLACK FACTS
The Truths They Never Taught You...

Wilmington 1898 — An American Coup

Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
NMAAHC

Cream dress with rhinestones and metallic embroidery

Date
ca.1940
Created by
Best & Co., American, 1879 - 1970
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Description
A cream ankle length dress with rhinestones and metallic embroidery. The dress has a sweetheart neckline and cap sleeves. Remnants of gold colored woven monofilament are stitched along the edge of the neckline. The sleeves are slightly gathered at the shoulders. The sleeves are sewn with machine stitches and the hem is folded inwards and secured with hand stitches. The dress has an empire waistline which ends under the bustline and two dart tucks ending at a point along the waistline. There is a metal lapped zipper on the proper left side that starts at the base of the sleeve, it extends down the side of the dress and is thirteen and a half inches long. A metal hook and eye is placed along the zipper at the bust line. The top of the dress is adorned with tarnished gold chain stitch embroidery in swirling organic motifs. Rhinestones secured with metal prong settings are placed along the embroidery. A row of rhinestones is placed at the edge of sleeves, neckline, and waistline. Corded thread belt loops are tacked one inch below the waistline. The back of the dress has a scoop neckline, extending lower than the front. The dress has a center back seam and is finished with a rolled hem. The interior seams have pinked pressed down edges. A fabric label is sewn along the proper left side seam towards the bottom of the dress that reads "Best & Co. FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK" in blue text.
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 collected
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Fashion
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
2007.3.611
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic crepe, metal thread, rhinestones, and metal
Dimensions
L x W: 57 1/2 × 18 1/2 in. (146.1 × 47 cm)
Waist: 26 1/2 in. (67.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Cream dress with rhinestones and metallic embroidery
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.611
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
CREAM DRESS WITH RHINESTONES AND METALLIC EMBROIDERY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1930s
Name
Best & Co. • Black Fashion Museum
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America
Topic
Clothing and dress • Fashion
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Dresses (garments)
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

Audelco best musical production award for Champeen awarded to Melvin Van Peebles

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Academy Award, Best Sound, Glory, presented to Russell Williams, II

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

Black woven hat with white bow

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

Cream dress with rhinestones and metallic embroidery

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
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.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

Which Supreme Court case ruled state-sponsored public-school segregation unconstitutional?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.