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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 3 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Alexandra Jacob of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Date
2013-2014
Created by
Description
.1: One (1) ballet pointe shoe custom-colored with cosmetics to a light brown to match the skin tone of the dancer. The exterior of the shoe is made of satin fabric and has a leather sole. An elastic drawstring runs around the top of the foot opening and is tied in a knot at the vamp with the ends trimmed short. Two lengths of custom-colored elastic tape are stitched with one end on either side of the back seam and the other end sewn at the left and right quarter sides of the shoe, with the elastic crossed around the front of the wearer's foot. Two lengths of custom-colored satin ribbon are hand sewn to the binding, one each on the left and right side quarters of the shoe. Heavy stitching around the platform of the toe box may be evidence of a replacement of the original platform fabric due to heavy wear. Uneven wear on the platform of the toe box indicates this shoe was worn on the left foot. The fabric-covered shank is broken at the arch of the foot. Text reading "L" is hand written in purple ink near the arch on the fabric covering the shank.
.2: Pair of dance tights with inherent holes in feet that are custom-dyed to a light brown to match the skin tone of the dancer. The foot openings allow the tights to be worn covering the foot and toes, with the hole at the ball of the foot, or worn footless with the foot portion rolled at the ankle. The tights have an elastic waistband.
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 the Dance Theatre of Harlem
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.19.2.1-.2
Type
toe shoes
tights (opaque stockings)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
Shoe: satin cloth and ribbons, elastic, leather, paper, cloth, adhesive, and cosmetics;
Tights: nylon, spandex, and dye
Dimensions
H x W x D (.1 without ribbons extended): 8 3/4 × 3 7/16 × 3 1/2 in. (22.2 × 8.7 × 8.9 cm)
L (.1 PL ribbon): 16 1/2 in. (41.9 cm)
L (.1 PR ribbon): 20 3/8 in. (51.8 cm)
H x W x D (.2 on form): 23 × 5 1/2 × 4 1/2 in. (58.4 × 14 × 11.4 cm)
L x W (.2 flat): 27 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (69.9 × 16.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pointe shoe and tights worn by Alexandra Jacob of Dance Theatre of Harlem
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.19.2.1-.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
POINTE SHOE AND TIGHTS WORN BY ALEXANDRA JACOB OF DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2010s
Geo Location
City • New York City • County • Manhattan • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
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

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Emiko Flanagan of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Ingrid Silva of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Alexandra Jacob of Dance Theatre of Harlem

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.

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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.