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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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

U.S. Army Certificate of Service issued to Lt. Colonel Charles J. Blackwood

Date
June 12, 1944; May 24,1946
Created by
United States Army, American, founded 1775
Subject of
Lt. Colonel Charles J. Blackwood Sr., American, 1896 - 1982
Signed by
Major General Charles Hartwell Bonesteel Jr., American, 1885 - 1964
John C. Cook
Isabel Gromer
Description
The U.S. Army Certificate of Service issued to Major Charles James Blackwood is for active service in the Army from March 19 1942 to June 12 1944. The certificate is dated June 12, 1944 and was given at [The Infantry School, / Fort Benning, Georgia]. The certificate was mounted on a larger blue paper at a later date and is stapled at the top and connected with multiple pieces of tape. The certificate has large image of the Seal of the United States with the text, [Army of the United States] above. Below the text in large printed cursive reads [Certificate of Service]. The certificate is given to [Major CHARLES JAMES BLACKWOOD, O-102686, Infantry] and in the center lists his, [Military Record]. The bottom is signed by Blackwood and [C.H. BONESTEEL, / Major General, U.S. Army, Commandant]. The document has two distinct crease marks that creates three panels. The first panel on the back of the certificate also has a large image of the Seal of the United States. The text above states, [HONORABLE DISCHARGE / FROM THE ARMED SERVICES OF THE UNITED STATES]. Above are two stamped text. In red, [INDEXED / COMPARED] and in blue, [341296]. The certificate was filed on May 24, 29146 by [JOHN C. COOK, County Clerk] and [Isabel Gromer / Deputy.]. The other two panels of the back of the certificate are blank.
Place printed
Fort Benning, Chattahoochee County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Buffalo Soldiers
Military
World War II
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Documents and Manuscripts
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Beverly J. Blackwood in memory of Charles J. Blackwood, Sr.
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2018.13.7
Type
certificates
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink, pressure-sensitive tape, and metal on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 11 5/16 × 8 7/16 in. (28.8 × 21.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • U.S. Army Certificate of Service issued to Lt. Colonel Charles J. Blackwood
Record ID
nmaahc_2018.13.7
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
U.S. ARMY CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE ISSUED TO LT. COLONEL CHARLES J. BLACKWOOD
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1939-1945
Name
Bonesteel, Charles Hartwell • United States Army • Blackwood, Charles James • Gromer, Isabel • Cook, John C.
Place
Trinidad • Fort Benning • United States • North and Central America • Colorado • Las Animas County • Chattahoochee County • Georgia
Topic
WW II • Buffalo Soldiers • Military • World War, 1939-1945
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Fort Benning • County • Chattahoochee County • State • Georgia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Trinidad • County • Las Animas County • State • Colorado
Type
Certificates
Online Media Type
Images
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

Program for "Cookie" An Evening with Charles Cook and Friends

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

U.S. Army Certificate of Service issued to Lt. Colonel Charles J. Blackwood

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Eunice Cook inspecting a jail cell at Centre Avenue police station

Date: Date

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NMAAHC

Untitled (Charles Peaker Street Speaker, head of ANPM after Carlos Cooks passed away, on 125th street)

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

Who was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker