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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

Pair of white figure skates worn by Debi Thomas

Date
1980s
Worn by
Dr. Debra Janine Thomas, American, born 1967
Created by
Harlick Skating Boots, American, founded 1935
Manufactured by
MK Blades, American
Caption
Debi Thomas is the 1986 World Figure Skating Champion, a two-time U.S. National Figure Skating Champion, and the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. Thomas was the first African American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics when she won bronze in the Ladies’ Singles Figure Skating in Calgary in 1988.
Description
A pair of white figure skates worn by Debi Thomas. The top of the skates reach the shin and the boot has a rounded toe. The boots are made of a white leather. There are four white (4) metal hooks for tying the laces on either side of the tongue. These are followeed by eleven (11) shoelace holes on either side, going down towards the toe. The white laces are made of cotton and have plastic aglets on the ends. There is white stitching on the boot- around the top, around the shoelace holes, down the middle of the toe, and down the center of the back, on either side of an extra leather panel.
The tops of the boots and the tongues are padded with foam. Each skate has a manufacturer's label inside the top of the boot at the inner opening. It is a black label with gold script reading "Harlick Custom Made", accompanied by the image of a figure skate. All parts of the label are made with thread. The word [FIGURE] is printed in black ink near the label. The name [DEBI THOMAS] is written in black marker inside the top of the boot at the exterior opening.
The soles of the skates are made of a reddish brown wood and have a 1 1/2 inch heel. There appears to be a word or letters carved down the center of the sole of both skates. The last letter on both skates appears to be a "P".
The steel blades are attached to the wooden soles with screws. There are eight (8) on skate a. and nine (9) on skate b. It aooears as if several are issing from each skate. The numbers "9 1'3" are etched into the piece of steel near the front of the skates. This is the length of the skate from toe to heel. The words [MADE IN ENGLAND] and [SHEFFIELD STEEL] are etched on the other side of each blade, near the front of the skate, with the logo "MK" in a circle. The words [Gold Test] are etched in script near the back of each blade. The letters "CF" are etched between the two words.
Place used
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Athletes
Clothing and dress
Figure skating
Sports
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Clothing - Sports Uniforms
Clothing - Costume
Exhibition
Sports: Leveling the Playing Field
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 052
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Debra Janine Thomas
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2016.38.2ab
Type
ice skates
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
leather, cotton, plastic, foam, wood, and steel
Dimensions
H x W x D (a - left): 9 1/2 × 3 9/16 × 11 1/2 in. (24.1 × 9 × 29.2 cm)
H x W x D (a - left (cloth cover)): 2 1/2 × 1 × 13 1/2 in. (6.4 × 2.5 × 34.3 cm)
H x W x D (b - right): 9 1/2 × 3 1/2 × 11 1/2 in. (24.1 × 8.9 × 29.2 cm)
H x W x D (b - right (cloth cover)): 2 1/2 × 1 × 12 3/4 in. (6.4 × 2.5 × 32.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pair of white figure skates worn by Debi Thomas
Record ID
nmaahc_2016.38.2ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PAIR OF WHITE FIGURE SKATES WORN BY DEBI THOMAS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1980s
Name
Harlick Skating Boots • Thomas, Debra Janine • MK Blades
Place
United States • North and Central America
Topic
Women • Clothing and dress • Figure skating • Athletes • Sports
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Sports: Leveling the Playing Field
Geo Location
Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
ice skates
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
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

Black and purple figure skating costume worn by Debi Thomas

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Pair of white figure skates worn by Debi Thomas

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Flier for "Skate Fever’s 1st Annual Speed Skating Contest"

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Flier for "Must Be the Music Skate Affair" at the Bronx Skating Rink

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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.