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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

Green sequin top and skirt

Date
1980s-1990s
Created by
Description
A green sequin cropped top and full-length skirt. The top and skirt are made of green synthetic knit covered in green plastic sequins machine sewn with monofilament thread. The top (a) is cropped and ends below the bust. It has a wide round neckline with long sleeves that have dropped shoulder seams. A four and a half long zipper with a metal pull and plastic teeth is sewn along the bottom of each sleeve along the side seam. A three and a half long zipper with a metal pull and plastic teeth is sewn along the proper left side seam at the bottom of the bodice. The neckline, sleeve hems, and bottom of the bodice are all faced with a band of olive-green synthetic satin fabric. The seam allowances are finished with the same olive-green synthetic satin fabric. The bodice is unlined and unlabeled.
The high waisted full-length skirt (b) is fitted though the hips. A twelve-inch zipper with a metal pull and plastic teeth is sewn along the center back. The skirt is slightly longer in the back and has a slight train. A black cotton twill hanger loop is sewn on the interior on each side seam at waist level. The waist and hem are all faced with a band of olive-green synthetic satin fabric. The seam allowances are finished with the same olive-green synthetic satin fabric. The skirt is unlined and unlabeled.
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
2007.3.829ab
Type
shirts
skirts
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic, synthetic knit, synthetic satin, plastic sequins, monofilament thread, cotton twill, and metal
Dimensions
a. top
Length (a: shoulder to hem): 13 in. (33 cm)
Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 12 in. (30.5 cm)
b: skirt
Length (b: waist to hem): 47 1/4 in. (120 cm)
Waist (b: flat): 13 3/4 in. (34.9 cm)
Title
Object Name • Green sequin top and skirt
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.829ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
GREEN SEQUIN TOP AND SKIRT
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1980s
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.

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Green sequin top and skirt

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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.