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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...

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.

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BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Color block jersey knit dress by Stephen Burrows

Date
2007-2008
Description
Color block jersey knit dress by Stephen Burrows. It is form fitting to the knee with a flared skirt that has a long slit at the center front and a short back train. The rounded high neck is broken up at the center front bodice with a large keyhole that is V-shaped on the bottom and round on the top. The cap sleeves have cut outs at the top shoulders. The color blocking is done on the front and back bodice with orange at the neck and sleeves, accented by red pieces at the shoulders next to the cut outs on the top sleeves. The center front of the bodice has dark blue pieces that from the bottom of the keyhole and continue down the front of the dress to the hem. The sides of the front bodice have section from top to bottom of red, hot pink, and teal with rounded edges. The center of the back bodice is teal with a large bubblegum pink circle at the center below the shoulder blades. There are red, light pink, and lime green side panels on the back bodice, with a band of the teal beneath. Below this teal band the dark blue color of the skirt begins and continues to the hemline. Additional pieces of the dark blue are sewn on the sides of the skirt to create the flare. All of the color blocked pieces and the sections of the skirt are topstitched in red thread with a zigzag stitch. The dress closes at the center back bodice with a blue plastic zipper, which bisects the pink circle at the back bodice. There are no labels.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Ebony Fashion Fair Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.141.39
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic jersey knit with plastic zipper
Dimensions
H x W (flat): 73 3/4 × 21 3/4 in. (187.3 × 55.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Color block jersey knit dress by Stephen Burrows
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.141.39
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
COLOR BLOCK JERSEY KNIT DRESS BY STEPHEN BURROWS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2000s
Online Media Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions

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

Date: Date

Description

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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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.