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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

American Defense Service Medal and ribbon bar awarded to George Francis Bland

Date
ca. 1941
Designed by
Joseph A. Kiselewski, American, 1901 - 1988
Issued by
United States Navy, American, founded 1775
Received by
Ck2c George Francis Bland, American, 1922 - 2014
Subject of
Naval Station Pearl Harbor, American, founded 1899
Description
An American Defense Service Medal and ribbon bar awarded to Matt3c George Francis Bland.
2024.46.10a: An American Defense Service Medal awarded to Matt3c George Francis Bland. The medal is comprised of a bronze medallion suspended from a short, yellow, medal ribbon with a bronze bar. The bronze, circular medallion features an embossed, female figure in a Grecian-style dress, standing on oak branch with four leaves. She is shown in full length, facing the viewer, with her head turned in profile towards the right. Her proper left arm is threaded through the two interior arm loops of a circular shield and she is holding an upraised, long sword in her proper right hand. Along the top edge of the medallion is embossed text that reads [AMERICAN DEFENSE]. The reverse is entirely filled with embossed text that reads [FOR SERVICE DURING THE / LIMITED EMERGENCY / PROCLAIMED BY / THE PRESIDENT / ON SEPTEMBER 8, 1939 / OR DURING THE / UNLIMITED EMERGENCY / PROCLAIMED BY / THE PRESIDENT / ON MAY 27, 1941] above a spray of laurel leaves. The medallion is suspended from a bronze jump ring threaded through the medallion’s bail at the top center. The jump ring is also threaded though the triangular folded point at the bottom of the short ribbon. The ribbon is a field of golden yellow with red, white, and blue, thin, vertical stripes running down either side. Wrapped around the center of the ribbon is a bronze rectangular bar, a Fleet clasp, embossed with the text [FLEET] on the front. Attached to the top back of the ribbon is the medal’s brooch bar with a safety pin clasp. The bar is missing its pin. Stamped on the solid bar is the text [L1-G1] just left of center.
2024.46.10b: An American Defense Service Medal ribbon bar awarded to Matt3c George Francis Bland. The ribbon bar is small and rectangular in shape. The ribbon is a field of golden yellow with red, white, and blue, thin, vertical stripes running down either side. On the back of the ribbon bar is a solid bronze, rectangular bar with standard size posts on the left and right sides. Stamped at the top center is the text [L1-G1].
Place used
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Military
World War II
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Awards, Medals, and Insignia
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Frank Bland in memory of George Francis Bland
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2024.46.10ab
Type
ribbon bars
medals
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ribbon and metal
Dimensions
H x W x D (2024.46.10a): 3 × 1 9/16 × 1/4 in. (7.6 × 3.9 × 0.6 cm)
H x W x D (2024.46.10b): 3/8 × 1 7/16 × 9/16 in. (1 × 3.6 × 1.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • American Defense Service Medal and ribbon bar awarded to George Francis Bland
Record ID
nmaahc_2024.46.10ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE MEDAL AND RIBBON BAR AWARDED TO GEORGE FRANCIS BLAND
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1930s • 1939-1945
Name
Kiselewski, Joseph A. • United States Navy • Naval Station Pearl Harbor • Bland, George Francis
Place
United States • North and Central America
Topic
WW II • Military • World War, 1939-1945
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Costume accessories • Medals
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

Broadside for the sale of enslaved persons and other property of William Bland

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

American Defense Service Medal and ribbon bar awarded to George Francis Bland

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pearl Harbor Survivors Official Membership Card for Ck2c George F. Bland

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pearl Harbor Survivors Official Membership Card for Ck2c George F. Bland

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