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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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NMAAHC

Prayer shawl from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

Date
2010
Description
A black prayer shawl (tallit gadol) with a repeating pattern of nine, embroidered, seven-branched menorahs lined across each end. Strips of white grosgrain ribbon have been appliquéd above and below the Menorah bands. Strips of black silk braid have been sewn across the middle of the lower ribbons. A neckband made from a narrow band of black fabric (atarah or "crown") sewn on the top center edge of the shawl has been embroidered in silver thread with the Hebrew tallit blessing and is surrounded on either side by a seven-branched menorah. Each corner of the tallit has been reinforced with a black square of fabric sewn on the verso of the tallit and threaded through with a long, white, silk tassel (tzitziot). The shawl edges have been trimmed in black ribbon. The tallit bag is black with the name of the owner in Hebrew [Rabbi Shmuel Y'funnye] embroidered in silver thread on the front of the bag. Next to his name is a seven-branched menorah also embroidered in silver thread. The bag has a black zipper closure on the top of the bag.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of Rabbi Capers Funnye and the Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.88.4ab
Type
tallitim
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
cloth, dye, metal, thread braid, and metal thread
Dimensions
H x W (shawl without tassels): 28 3/4 × 74 × 1/16 in. (73 × 188 × 0.1 cm)
H x W (shawl with tassels): 28 3/4 × 134 × 1/4 in. (73 × 340.4 × 0.6 cm)
H x W (HxW bag): 14 3/4 × 16 15/16 × 1/8 in. (37.5 × 43 × 0.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Prayer shawl from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.88.4ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PRAYER SHAWL FROM BETH SHALOM B'NAI ZAKEN ETHIOPIAN HEBREW CONGREGATION
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2010s
Geo Location
City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
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

Shofar from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Prayer shawl from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Torah scroll from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

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Description

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NMAAHC

The Ethiopian Hebrews (Falashas) In The Western Hemisphere

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 became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.