q2K BHP
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
What's New!
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.

✊🏾

Civil Rights

Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

⚙️

Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

🏆

Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

♟️

People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

📍

Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

📜

Events

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

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
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.

MORE →
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.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
NMAAHC

Brooch owned by the Elliott family

Date
1920s
Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Lilian Johnson Elliott, American
Attributed to
Elliott Department Store, American
Description
Trapezoidal Art Deco brooch with a pale gold and ebony enamel design featuring prominent clusters of rhinestones. Curved and straight lines lead to a square ebony-colored center. The brooch front has a smooth, lacquered finish.
Place used
Muskogee, Muskogee County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American South
American West
Beauty culture
Black Enterprise
Business
Clothing and dress
Communities
Families
Fashion
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Jewelry and Adornment
Exhibition
Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 2, C 2053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Willis and Julia Elliott Family
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.102
Type
brooches
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
metal, rhinestone, vitreous enamel
Dimensions
H x W x D: 7/8 x 1 5/8 x 3/8 in. (2.2 x 4.1 x .95 cm.)
Title
Object Name • Brooch owned by the Elliott family
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.102
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BROOCH OWNED BY THE ELLIOTT FAMILY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s
Name
Elliott, Lilian Johnson • Elliott Department Store
Place
Muskogee • Muskogee County • United States • Oklahoma • North and Central America
Topic
Women • Black Enterprise • American South • American West • Communities • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Beauty culture • Family • Business
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation, 1876-1968
Geo Location
City • Muskogee • County • Muskogee County • State • Oklahoma • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Brooches
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

Hon. Robert B. Elliott of South Carolina Delivering His Great Speech On Civil Rights in the House of Representatives

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

Letter from Robert B. Elliott to L. Dunneman

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
NMAAHC

Brooch owned by the Elliott family

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

John Elliott Churchville, J.D. Oral History Interview

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
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.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

Which heavyweight champion was known as the “Brown Bomber”?

Joe Louis.