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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
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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

Black beaded dress designed by Zelda Wynn and worn by Ella Fitzgerald

Date
late 1940s
Designed by
Zelda Wynn, American, 1905 - 2001
Worn by
Ella Fitzgerald, American, 1917 - 1996
Description
This black beaded full-length gown was designed by Zelda Wynn and worn by Ella Fitzgerald. The dress is made from black synthetic crepe fabric that is hand beaded with black glass seed and bugle beads, and black sequins in a floral vine design. The bodice is short-sleeved and has a scoop neck in the front and a V-neck in the back. There is a metal zipper in the center back that goes to the hip, and a hook-and-eye at the top of the zipper. The gown has a princess cut waist, but there is no seam at the waist. The gown has a column skirt with a slit on the proper right side that is 24 1/2" high and contains a rounded hem. At the top of the slit, there is a pre-tied black velvet bow that is sewn to the dress.
The dress is fully lined with a black synthetic fabric, except at the bottom of the sleeves. The hem of the sleeves, the interior neck line, and the skirt hem are finished with black ribbon. The designer label on the interior proper left back of the bodice is cream with black embroidered text and reads: "Zelda Wynn / NEW YORK, N.Y."
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Design
Fashion
Fashion design
Jazz (Music)
Singers (Musicians)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Estate of Ella Fitzgerald
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2010.20.1
Type
gowns
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic fiber, velvet, glass beads, plastic sequins, and metal fasteners
Dimensions
H x W: 46 x 20 in. (116.8 x 50.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black beaded dress designed by Zelda Wynn and worn by Ella Fitzgerald
Record ID
nmaahc_2010.20.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK BEADED DRESS DESIGNED BY ZELDA WYNN AND WORN BY ELLA FITZGERALD
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s
Name
Wynn, Zelda • Fitzgerald, Ella
Topic
Design • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Jazz (Music) • Singers (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Type
Dresses (garments)
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.

NMAAHC

Black beaded dress designed by Zelda Wynn and worn by Ella Fitzgerald

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Yellow cocktail dress designed by Don Loper and worn by Ella Fitzgerald

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Ella Fitzgerald

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Ella Fitzgerald, 1978

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