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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...

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

Cotton eyelet dress with black flocking

Date
1950s
Created by
Unidentified
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Description
A "fit n' flair" cotton eyelet dress with black flocking and a circle skirt. The dress is made from natural plain weave cotton and has an all over eyelet pattern with cut outs edged with black flocking. There are also black flocking zig zag designs throughout the dress. The front of the fitted bodice is made from one panel of natural cotton plain weave fabric and features a rounded neckline and cap sleeves. Both the neckline and sleeves are bound with black synthetic (likely acetate) taffeta. There are two 4.5” horizontal bust darts (one on the left and one on the right) and four vertical shaping darts. The inner darts are 8.25” and the outer darts measure 8”. There are two black thread belt loops at the natural waist and the corresponding belt is missing. The bodice and the full circle skirt are attached at the waistline with machine stitching. Slightly right of the center front on the skirt is a black velvet bow that is hand tacked into place. The black bow is double-looped with a center knot and two 21.5” tails. The front of the skirt is a half-circle panel, sewn to the back half circle panel at the side seams. There is a 3-inch single folded hem at the bottom of the skirt and its fabric edges are finished with a black synthetic faille .5” wide ribbon. The black synthetic faille ribbon is machine stitched to the edge of skirt, folded under, and handstitched to the underside.
The back neckline has a slightly deeper v-neck and closes with a metal hook and black thread eye, Below the hook and eye is a 13” metal zipper with metal teeth that separates the two back panels of the bodice. Like the front construction, there are four vertical shaping darts (two on each side) the inner dart is 8” and the outer dart is 8.5”.
The inside slip is made of black synthetic taffeta. The inner bust features a sweetheart neckline and is made from three panels (one for the front and two for the back). The dart placements mirror that of the outer bust. The inner skirt seam edges are pinked. All interior seams are machine stitched together but the bust is hand tacked to the outer dress at the top of the bust. There is no label.
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.
Topic
African American
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
2007.3.691
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
cotton, twill, synthetic taffeta, syntehtic faille, ribbon, synthetic velvet, and metal
Dimensions
Length (shoulder to hem): 44 in. (111.8 cm)
Width (shoulder to shoulder): 16 in. (40.6 cm)
Chest: 39 in. (99.1 cm)
Waist: 31 in. (78.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Cotton eyelet dress with black flocking
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.691
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
COTTON EYELET DRESS WITH BLACK FLOCKING
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s
Name
Black Fashion Museum
Topic
Clothing and dress • Fashion
Culture
African Americans
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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Black silk dress with crepe overlay and embroidery

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NMAAHC

Cotton eyelet dress with black flocking

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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.