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Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
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

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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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

Framed photograph of General Colin L. Powell and President Bill Clinton

Date
1993
Photograph by
The White House, founded 1792
Subject of
General Colin L. Powell, American, 1937 - 2021
President Bill Clinton, American, born 1946
Les Aspin, American, 1938 - 1995
Owned by
General Colin L. Powell, American, 1937 - 2021
Caption
This photograph was inscribed by President Bill Clinton on the occasion of General Powell's 56th birthday. Powell was then serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first African American to hold that position. This photograph hung in the sitting room of the Powell family's residence in McLean, Virginia.
Description
A framed and inscribed black-and-white photograph of General Colin L. Powell, with President Bill Clinton and Defense Secretary Les Aspin.
This photograph (a) captures the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Powell, 18th Secretary of Defense, Les Aspin, and President Bill Clinton, smiling and talking, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. General Powell (left) and Secretary Aspin (center) are dressed casually in long sleeve tops and loose trousers. President Clinton, as he notes in his inscription, is dressed in a dark suit and dotted necktie. The men stand on and near the Great Seal on the carpet. In the background, the floor to ceiling curtains are open to the bright daytime. A tall U.S. flag on pole stands in front of curtains and beside a console table with several picture frames and a large plant. Three short-back wooden chairs can be seen throughout the room, in addition to two sofas. In the bottom white sheet of the photograph is a handwritten inscription in black ink that reads: [To Gen. Colin Powell – on a rare day I am more dressed up than you – / with thanks, on your birthday, for your service to America. Bill Clinton 4-5-93]. The photograph (a) is set behind a white square window mat and housed inside of a mahogany brown, deep set, wooden frame (b).
Place captured
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Government
Men
Military
Photography
Politics
Social life and customs
U.S. History, 1969-2001
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alma J. Powell
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
A2022.101.1.13ab
Type
black-and-white prints
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
(a) ink on paper (fiber product)
(b) wood and glass
Dimensions
H x W (image): 6 5/16 × 9 1/2 in. (16 × 24.1 cm)
H x W (sheet): 7 1/16 × 9 1/2 in. (18 × 24.1 cm)
H x W x D: 15 1/4 × 16 3/4 × 1 in. (38.7 × 42.5 × 2.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Framed photograph of General Colin L. Powell and President Bill Clinton
Record ID
nmaahc_A2022.101.1.13ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH OF GENERAL COLIN L. POWELL AND PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s
Name
Clinton, Bill • Aspen, Les • The White House • Powell, Colin L.
Place
District of Columbia • United States • North and Central America • Washington
Topic
Photography • Government • Politics • Society • U.S. History, 1969-2001 • Military
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
black-and-white prints
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

Black wig with rainbow accents worn by George Clinton

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pinback button for Clinton presidential campaign

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Gen. Colin Powell with President Clinton and Vice Pres. Al Gore

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Framed photograph of General Colin L. Powell and President Bill Clinton

Date: Date

Caption

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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.