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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...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

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

Costume worn by Terry Ellis in "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" video

Date
1992
Designed by
Danny Flynn
Manufactured by
Frederick's of Hollywood, founded 1947
Via Spiga, Italian, founded 1985
Worn by
Terry Lynn Ellis, American, born 1963
Subject of
En Vogue, American, founded 1989
Description
A costume worn by Terry Ellis of En Vogue for the music video "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" (1992) comprised of a red dress (.1), a bra (.2), a pair of elbow-length black gloves (.3), and a pair of black stiletto heels (.4ab).
Dress (.1): A red sleeveless dress with an an ankle-length skirt. The dress is made from a red stretch knit sewn with the dull side of the fabric facing. The front of the bodice scoops below the bust, with the upper band becoming the back straps. There is a sixteen (16) inch slit along the proper right side of the skirt, with the edges of the slit rounded at the hem. The letter "T" is handwritten in black ink on the inside front bodice. The dress is not lined.
Bra (.2): A red push-up bra with a plunging neckline between the cups, red sheer wings, and adjustable back straps. The padded cups are faced with red satin. Each cup has an insert for additional padding with removable inserts inside. There is a white manufacturer's label with printed text sewn to the interior bottom seam of the proper left wing that reads, "frederick's / of Hollywood / FIBER & CARE ON BACK / [horizontal] 5796 32B". The letter "T" is handwritten in black ink at the bottom interior edge of each cup and on the interior proper right wing.
Gloves (.3ab): A pair of black elbow-length stretch gloves, both alike. The gloves are seamed along the exterior side and around the fingers, with a separate thumb attached to the gusset. The letter "T" is handwritten in white ink or paint on the interior of each glove near the opening.
Shoes (.4ab): A pair of black suede t-strap pumps. Each shoe has a pointed toe box and a freestanding heel counter, leaving each side of the foot uncovered. Two thin straps are sewn together to make the t-shape. The lower of the straps is the same suede material as the toe box and heel. The lower strap is stitched to the edges of the toe box and joins to meet in the middle. The lower strap is stitched to the upper strap at the anterior ankle. The upper strap is suede elastic, and loops around the wearer's ankle from one edge of the heel to the other. The shoes have a 3 inch stilletto heel that is covered with suede and tipped with black rubber. There is a manufacturer's tag on the insole on both shoes, white with black stitching: "VIA SPIGA / MADE IN / ITALY". On the tags are hand-written the letter "T" indicating that the shoes were worn by Terry Ellis. On the underside of both shoes at the shank are the leather seal and size "VERO / CUOIO / MADE IN ITALY / 4 5 / 8B".
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Design
Fashion design
Popular music
Singers (Musicians)
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of En Vogue
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.189.3.1-.4ab
Type
dresses
brassieres
gloves
pumps (shoes)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
Dress: synthetic fiber and spandex
Bra: Polyester fiber, polyurethane and metal (underwire)
Gloves: satin and spandex
Shoes: suede, leather, plastic, rubber, and elastic
Dimensions
H x W (.1, dress, flat): 48 1/2 × 13 in. (123.2 × 33 cm)
H x W x D (.1, dress, on form): 50 × 12 1/2 × 8 in. (127 × 31.8 × 20.3 cm)
H x W (,2, bra, flat): 9 × 11 in. (22.9 × 27.9 cm)
H x W x D (.2, bra, on form): 8 3/4 × 10 × 8 3/4 in. (22.2 × 25.4 × 22.2 cm)
H x W (.3a, glove (left)): 18 × 4 1/4 in. (45.7 × 10.8 cm)
H x W (.3b, glove (right)): 17 3/4 × 4 1/2 in. (45.1 × 11.4 cm)
H x W x D (.4a, shoe (left)): 5 3/4 × 3 1/4 × 9 3/4 in. (14.6 × 8.3 × 24.8 cm)
H x W x D (.4b, shoe (right)): 5 3/4 × 3 1/4 × 9 3/4 in. (14.6 × 8.3 × 24.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Costume worn by Terry Ellis in "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" video
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.189.3.1-.4ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
COSTUME WORN BY TERRY ELLIS IN "GIVING HIM SOMETHING HE CAN FEEL" VIDEO
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s
Name
Flynn, Danny • Via Spiga • Ellis, Terry Lynn • Frederick's of Hollywood • En Vogue
Topic
Design • Women • Music • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Singers (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Type
Gloves • pumps (shoes) • Dresses (garments) • brassieres
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.

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Salt-N-Pepa and En Vogue, "Whatta Man" video shoot, NYC

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Costume worn by Terry Ellis in "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" video

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Costume worn by Cindy Herron in "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" video

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Dress worn by Cindy Herron in "Hold On" video

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 Supreme Court case ruled state-sponsored public-school segregation unconstitutional?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.