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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...

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

Cover letter regarding a runaway enslaved person in Cuba

Date
November 1, 1857
Written by
Description
This Spanish language cover letter discusses a report about an enslaved person in Cuba who has run away. The letter is folded in half vertically. The enslaved person is not named in the document and neither is the writer. Typed text in the top left corner reads [PRESIDENCIA/ DEL/ M. I. Ayuntamiento/ DE/ CIENFUEGOS]. Handwritten text in the top right corner reads [Ayl. 3.700.] The letter reads [Exmo Sor. / tengo el honor de elevar / a las / superiores manos de / V.E. la relacion de los ci= / marrones existentes en esta fecha en el Deposito de esta / villa, con espresion de las / altas y bajas securridas en / todo Octobre; cumplimen / tando lo prevenido por / V.E. en el parrafo 4: de / su superior circular de / 5 de Mayo del corriente / ano. / Dios]. The inside page reads [Que a V.E. m.a. Ciene/ fuegos 1: de Noviembre / de 1857 / Exmo Sor. / Fran Mals / Exmo. Sr. Gobernador Gral de esta Ysla]
Transcription Center Status
Transcribed by digital volunteers
Cultural Place
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Documents and Manuscripts
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2010.1.119
Type
documents
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
L x W: 8 x 6 in. (20.3 x 15.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Cover letter regarding a runaway enslaved person in Cuba
Record ID
nmaahc_2010.1.119
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
COVER LETTER REGARDING A RUNAWAY ENSLAVED PERSON IN CUBA
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1850s
Geo Location
City • Cienfuegos • State • Cienfuegos • Country • Cuba • Subregion • Caribbean • Region • Latin America • Continent • North and Central America • Country • Spain • Continent • Europe
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

Cover letter regarding a runaway enslaved person in Cuba

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Print of Cab Calloway dancing at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Print of Cab Calloway dancing at the Hotel Nacional de Cuba

Date: Date

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NMAAHC

Capture of a Slaver off the Coast of Cuba

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.