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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
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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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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 cowl neck halter dress by Stephen Burrows

Date
1978
Designed by
Stephen Burrows, American, born 1943
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Description
A pink cowl neck halter dress by Steven Burrows. The shift dress is made of silk crepe de chine and has a draped cowl neckline. Self-fabric cording is stitched to each corner of the neckline, a knot is placed at the edge of each cord. The bodice is cut on the bias, double lined and is stitched to an elastic waistband. A decorative panel is stitched to the waistband at the front of the dress offset to the proper right, it ends in an angled point along the hem of the dress. The dress has two high slits that go to the upper thigh above the knee. The proper left side slit is along the side seam. The proper right slit is aligned under the decorative panel at the waistband. The dress ends at mid calf length. A small metal circular weight is stitched to the bodice’s interior at the center of the neckline. Hanger loops are machine stitched to each side of the dress under the waistband. The dress has an open back and a center back seam that is offset to the proper right. The center back seam is open at the top along the waistband and closes with a metal hook and eye and three metal snaps. All the edges of the dress are finished with a zigzag overcast stitch. The skirt seams seen on the dress’s interior are French seams. A woven fabric label is stitched on the inside of the dress at the back of the waistband that reads [Stephen Burrows] in red thread. A fabric care tag is stitched along the center back seam.
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 made
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place collected
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Black Enterprise
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
2007.3.618
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silk crepe de chine, elastic, and metal
Dimensions
L x W: 45 3/4 × 16 1/2 in. (116.2 × 41.9 cm)
Waist: 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pink cowl neck halter dress by Stephen Burrows
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.618
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PINK COWL NECK HALTER DRESS BY STEPHEN BURROWS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1970s
Name
Black Fashion Museum • Burrows, Stephen
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America
Topic
Black Enterprise • 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.

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NMAAHC

Beaded jacket and black pants by Stephen Burrows

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pink cowl neck halter dress by Stephen Burrows

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Color block jersey knit dress by Stephen Burrows

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NMAAHC

Color block jacket, halter crop top, and pants by Stephen Burrows

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

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

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.