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...

Wilmington 1898 — An American Coup

Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.

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

Showbill for "Puppetplay"

Date
1983
Published by
Playbill, American, founded 1884
Subject of
Negro Ensemble Company, American, founded 1967
Pearl Cleage, American
Phylicia Rashad, American, born 1948
Seret Scott, American, born 1949
Wendell Brooks
Directed by
Leon B. Denmark, American
Douglas Turner Ward, born 1930
Clinton Turner Davis
Description
A black-and-white paper showbill printed by Playbill for “Puppetplay”.
On the front of the playbill in large black type is [SHOWBILL ® / THEATRE FOUR] printed inside a blue block. Below it is the very large round Negro Ensemble Company logo inside a black print block.
On the inside of the playbill, a left page features a color photographic Player’s Cigarettes ad which depicts men and women smoking at a party, above a purple banner with an orange slogan [PLAYERS GO PLACES]. The right page announces “Puppetplay”. From the top in black type is: [THEATRE FOUR / 424 West 55th Street / (Near Ninth Avenue) / 246-8545] and the Negro Ensemble Company circular logo. The page continues: [DOUGLASS TURNER WARD / Artistic Director / LEON B. DENMARK / Managing Director / presents / PUPPETPLAY / by / PEARL CLEAGE / with / PHYLICIA AYERS-ALLEN / BRAD BREWER / SERET SCOTT / WENDELL BROOKS / Directed by / CLINTON TURNER DAVIS / Set Design by / LLEWELLYN HARRISON / Lighting Design by / WILLIAM H. GRANT, III / Costume Design by / JUDY DEARING / Sound Design by / BERNARD HALL / Production Stage Manager / JESSE WOODEN, JR.]. A small ad for Dewar’s White Label Scotch Whiskey is printed below the play information.
On the back of the showbill is a color photographic ad for the Nissan Maxima depicting [THE LUXURY EXPRESS] car in brown at the top of the page, and the leather interior on the bottom half of the page.
Place used
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Drama (Theatre)
Theatre
Theatre companies
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Other
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Sandra Austin
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.196.7
Type
theater programs
Restrictions & Rights
© Playbill Incorporated, 1983
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper, metal
Dimensions
H x W x D: 8 1/2 × 5 5/8 × 1/8 in. (21.6 × 14.3 × 0.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Showbill for "Puppetplay"
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.196.7
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
SHOWBILL FOR "PUPPETPLAY"
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1980s
Name
Cleage, Pearl • Davis, Clinton Turner • Negro Ensemble Company • Rashad, Phylicia • Scott, Seret • Playbill • Brooks, Wendell • Ward, Douglas Turner • Denmark, Leon B.
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America
Topic
Theatre companies • Drama (Theatre)
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Theater programs
Online Media Type
Electronic resource • 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.

No preview image
NMAAHC

Cleveland Sellers, Ed. D. Oral History Interview

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Playbill for The War Party

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Showbill for "Manhattan Made Me"

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Showbill for "Puppetplay"

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.