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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...

Ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century

Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Details recorded here should be sourced; unknown information is left blank.

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NMAAHC

Black silk bodice with metallic cording and beads

Date
late 19th century
Created by
Description
A black silk bodice with metallic cording and beads. The bodice was originally made in the late 19th century and repaired in 1978. The bodice is made of black silk taffeta and has a self-fabric detachable high neck band collar. A band of interfacing is placed between the exterior fabric and facing of the collar. The collar opens on the proper left side with five metal hooks and thread eyes. A stomacher is sewn to the center front of the bodice below the collar. The stomacher is made of silk taffeta and is embellished with black glass beads and lopped metallic cording in organic motifs. The stomacher and collar are faced with glazed cotton. A lapel is sewn on each side of the stomacher made of silk taffeta. The lapels are embellished with black glass beads and looped metallic cording, matching that seen on the stomacher. A capelet made of acetate twill is sewn below the collar and ends at the bottom of the lapels, it is a later addition. The bodice opens in the center front below the stomacher with twenty metal eyes on the proper left side, one thread eye, and twenty-one hooks on the proper right side. The lower most eye is missing. The exterior bodice is made of silk taffeta, while the inner bodice seen at the center front opening is made of cotton sateen. The top portion of the long sleeves are made of cotton sateen. The majority of the sleeves are made of silk taffeta. The cotton sateen portions of the sleeves are covered by the capelet. Two bands of black glass beads are sewn to the bottom of the sleeves. Two bands of pleated silk chiffon are sewn to the bottom edge of each sleeve. A vertical nine-inch dart is sewn on each side on the center front opening to the front of the bodice. A pleated self-fabric band is sewn to the bottom of the bodice. A looped silk satin ribbon is sewn on each side of the center front opening, creating a bow when closed. The back of the bodice is made of six panels, it has a center back seam, and two sets of princess seams on each side of the center back opening. The bodice is lined with printed cotton sateen with stripes and polka dots. The seam allowances for the exterior bodice are pinked at the interior. Eight sections of cotton twill tape are sewn along various interior seams, one at the center back and along all of the interior seams of the front panels. The cotton twill tape is sewn with hand herringbone stitches, the twill tape on the center back seam is mostly missing with only a small portion remaining. The boning for each twill tape has been removed, tacking stitches are sewn at the top of each twill tape where the boning was likely removed from. One seven-inch-long bone is machine sewn and encased in a dart in the lining on each front panel. The lining is handsewn to the neckline. A one-inch band of black silk taffeta is hand sewn to the bottom of the bodice at the interior. The bodice is unlabeled.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2007.3.187
Type
bodices
Medium
silk taffeta, acetate twill, glazed cotton sateen, cotton sateen, glazed cotton, cotton twill tape, metal, silk chiffon, glass, metallic cording, silk satin ribbon, and interfacing
Dimensions
Length (shoulder to hem): 28 1/4 in. (71.8 cm)
Width (shoulder to shoulder): 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm)
Waist (flat): 14 in. (35.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black silk bodice with metallic cording and beads
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.187
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK SILK BODICE WITH METALLIC CORDING AND BEADS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1890s • 1860s
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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Black silk bodice with metallic cording and beads

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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