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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...

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

Trephine used by Dr. Ben Carson

Date
1984-1995
Description
This trephine was used by Dr. Ben Carson. It is two (2) inches in diameter with a black metal base with a silver rim, and a silver metal shaft. The bottom edge of the base is serrated. A metal drill bit protrudes from the center bottom of the base and is adjusted with a tension screw on the side of the shaft. The text "CODMAN REPAIR 3Q91" is printed on the side of the shaft. A trephine is a surgical saw used to cut a hole in a patient’s skull.
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Exhibition
Making a Way Out of No Way
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 050
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., MD
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.73.4
Type
medical equipment
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
metal
Dimensions
H x W: 4 in. (10.2 cm)
Diameter: 2 in. (5.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Trephine used by Dr. Ben Carson
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.73.4
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
TREPHINE USED BY DR. BEN CARSON
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1980s
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Making a Way Out of No Way
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
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

Desktop nameplate used by Dr. Ben Carson

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Model of the conjoined brains of Ladan and Lalah Bijani used by Dr. Ben Carson

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Green medical scrubs worn by Dr. Ben Carson

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Trephine used by Dr. Ben Carson

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 Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.