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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

A group portrait of young men from the High School YMCA Group in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Date
ca. 1930
Created by
Unidentified
Subject of
John Hope Franklin, American, 1915 - 2009
L. E. McKeller
Jesse Lee Greadington
Unidentified Man or Men
Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), International, founded 1844
Owned by
J. Kavin Ross, American
Description
A black-and-white photographic group portrait of a high school YMCA group in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The group of young men are formally posed in three rows in front of a brick building. The three men seated in the middle of the front row hold a triangular sign with a cross in the center and the letters H I Y across the top. The front row includes the following, as identified by Julius Pegues: L.E. McKeller, 4th from the left; Jesse Lee Greadington, 5th from the left; John Hope Franklin, 6th from the left; and Smith, last name unknown, 2nd from the left. There are no marks or inscriptions, front or back.
Place depicted
Tulsa, Tulsa County, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American South
American West
Associations and institutions
Education
Men
Photography
Religion
Youth
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.175.16
Type
gelatin silver prints
photographs
portraits
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions
H x W: 8 x 10 in. (20.3 x 25.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • A group portrait of young men from the High School YMCA Group in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.175.16
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
A GROUP PORTRAIT OF YOUNG MEN FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL YMCA GROUP IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s • 1930s
Name
Franklin, John Hope • Greadington, Jesse Lee • Ross, J. Kavin • Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) • McKeller, L. E.
Place
United States • Oklahoma • North and Central America • Tulsa County • Tulsa
Topic
Photography • American South • American West • Education • Men • Religion • Youth • Associations and institutions
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Tulsa • County • Tulsa County • State • Oklahoma • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Portraits • Photographs
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

John Hope Franklin

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Photographic portrait of John Hope Franklin owned by W.D. Williams

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

John Hope Franklin - 1995

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

A group portrait of young men from the High School YMCA Group in Tulsa, Oklahoma

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 Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.