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HIDDEN TRUTHS
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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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

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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

Strongbox owned by Church and Terrell families

Date
1860s
Created by
Unidentified
Subject of
Louise Ayers Church, American, born ca. 1846
Owned by
Mary Church Terrell, American, 1863 - 1954
Description
Strongbox owned by Louise Ayers Church, mother of Mary Church Terrell. The black metal box (a) has gold-colored detailing. Gold border detailing is around the lid and the box lock. There is additional red detailing on the top of the lid. The side of the box has gold-colored text which reads [L. CHURCH / MEMPHIS TENN. [smaller]].The bottom of the box is blank and heavily scratched. Two hinges connect the lid to the box base. There is a handle in the middle of the lid. The paint is chipped and the silver metal beneath is visible. Inside the box is a removable black metal tray (b). The tray has three (3) compartments. The middle compartment slides open and the outer ones have hinged doors. Fragments of newspaper were found in the bottom of the box.
Place collected
Highland Beach, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Business
Correspondence
Domestic life
Finance
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Mary Church Terrell Family Archive
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Ray and Jean Langston in memory of Mary Church and Robert Terrell
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
A2017.13.1.36ab
Type
strongboxes
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
metal, paint
Dimensions
H x W x D: 4 1/2 × 9 1/2 × 6 1/4 in. (11.4 × 24.1 × 15.9 cm)
Title
Object Name • Strongbox owned by Church and Terrell families
Record ID
nmaahc_A2017.13.1.36ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
STRONGBOX OWNED BY CHURCH AND TERRELL FAMILIES
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1860s
Name
Terrell, Mary Church • Church, Louise Ayers
Place
Anne Arundel County • United States • North and Central America • Highland Beach • Maryland
Topic
Domestic life • Finance • Correspondence • Business
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Highland Beach • County • Anne Arundel County • State • Maryland • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Strongboxes
Online Media Type
Electronic resource • 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

Wedding ring belonging to Louise Ayers Church

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Strongbox owned by Church and Terrell families

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Description

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NMAAHC

Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks at 16 St. Baptist Church

Date: Date

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NMAAHC

Scrapbook compiled by Louise Alexander Gunn

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.