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

Photograph of LL Cool J with DJ Bobcat, E. Love, and Cut Creator

Date
1987
Description
A color photograph of LL Cool J with DJ Bobcat, E. Love, and Cut Creator.
They are posed in front of a dark grey background. DJ Bobcat is to the far proper right side of the image. He is crouched down and is wearing a track suit with a red and white design on the front. The word [adidas] with the logo is in red on the proper left side of the chest. He is wearing a black baseball cap turned slightly towards the proper right. There is a Minnesota Twins logo on the hat- a red "C" with a white "T" going through it. He is wearing a thick gold helix chain necklace, with a similar bracelet on his proper left wrist. On his right wrist he is wearing a gold bracelet with an animal head on it. He also has two (2) gold rings on his left hand and a pair of gold rimmed wide-lens glasses.
LL Cool J is to the proper left side of DJ Bobcat. He is wearing a white sweatshirt with words and images that are mostly covered. ["HA] can be seen, but the rest is covered by his hand. He is wearing a red had with a white [KANGOL] logo in the center. The logo has a kangaroo above the word. He is wearing a gold helix chain and a second type of chain around his neck and several gold rings on each of his hands. His right hand and left arm and hand are resting on a large grey Conion boom box. The boom box is angled diagonally from the bottom right of the photo up towards the proper left side. His hands are on the proper left top corner of the boom box. Under the boom box part of his leg is visible. He is wearing blue jeans and white socks.
Cut Creator is to the proper left side of LL Cool J. He is kneeling, with his proper right leg on the ground and his proper left leg propped up. His left elbow is resting on his left leg. He is wearing a black, red, and white track suit with a black and red Fila logo on the left sleeve. He is the only one not wearing a hat and he has a small beard. He is also wearing a thick gold helix chain around his neck. E-Love is crouching behind the three others. He is between LL Cool J and Cut Creator, and has his proper left arm resting on Cut Creator's right shoulder. He is wearing a gold ring on his left hand. His right arm is extended and his hand is resting on DJ Bobcat's proper right shoulder. He is wearing a white long sleeved shirt with a gold and a black stripe on the proper left shoulder. He is wearing a thick gold helix chain around his neck and has a small gold earring in his proper left ear. He has a small goatee and is wearing a black hat.
The white border is thicker on the proper right side of the image. The back of the photo has grey text, repeated in diagonal lines. There is an inscription on the side, handwritten by Bill Adler.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Eyejammie Hip-Hop Photography Collection
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
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
2015.132.96
Type
portraits
inkjet prints
Restrictions & Rights
© Michael Benabib
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (Sheet): 10 15/16 × 14 1/8 in. (27.8 × 35.9 cm)
H x W (Image): 9 1/2 × 12 in. (24.2 × 30.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photograph of LL Cool J with DJ Bobcat, E. Love, and Cut Creator
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.132.96
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPH OF LL COOL J WITH DJ BOBCAT, E. LOVE, AND CUT CREATOR
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1980s
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
Use Restricted

Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Rights and restrictions shown above are supplied by the Smithsonian record.

NMAAHC

Flier for hip-hop event at T-Connection featuring DJ Love Squigg

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of LL Cool J with DJ Bobcat, E. Love, and Cut Creator

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Flier for "The 13th Annual Zulu Nation Anniversary"

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Flier for “NY’s Best in Concert” at the Audubon Ballroom

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