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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

Pocketwatch inscribed to William Lloyd Garrison from George Thompson

Date
1850
Manufactured by
Unidentified
Commissioned by
George Thompson, English, 1804 - 1878
Subject of
The Liberator, American, 1831 - 1865
Owned by
George Thompson Garrison, American, 1836 - 1904
William Lloyd Garrison, American, 1805 - 1879
Description
An inscribed gold pocket watch presented to William Lloyd Garrison. The watch has a half hunter case, with spring hinged glass cover over the dial and a hinged gold lid over the back, protecting the inscription and winding square. The dial is painted white with roman numerals and fleur de lis shaped watch hands. There is a smaller 60-second dial partly obscuring the "VI" of the larger dial. The two hinged covers open via a button on the crown and bow, positioned above the "XII" of the dial. The engraved inscription on the back of the watch is decorative and reads [Presented by / GEORGE THOMPSON, M.P. / on behalf of him / self and others / to / WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, / intrepid and uncompromising / Friend of the Slave: / in commemoration of the / TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF / THE LIBERATOR / Boston / January 1st, 1851] in several text sizes and fonts. Production and identification marks are stamped and scratched on the inside of the back cover.
Transcription Center Status
Transcribed by digital volunteers
Place made
London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
Place depicted
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Antislavery
Men
Social reform
U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Accessories and Personal Effects
Movement
Abolitionist movement
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Garrison Family in memory of George Thompson Garrison
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.115.6.1
Type
pocket watches
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
gold, metal, glass, paint
Dimensions
H x W x D: 2 11/16 × 1 7/8 × 9/16 in. (6.8 × 4.8 × 1.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pocketwatch inscribed to William Lloyd Garrison from George Thompson
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.115.6.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
POCKETWATCH INSCRIBED TO WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON FROM GEORGE THOMPSON
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1850s
Name
Thompson, George Donisthorpe • Garrison, George Thompson • The Liberator • Garrison, William Lloyd
Place
United States • Europe • Massachusetts • North and Central America • London • England • United Kingdom • Suffolk County • Boston
Topic
Social reform • Abolitionist movement • U.S. History, Civil War, 1861-1865 • Men • Antislavery
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • London • Country • England • Nation • United Kingdom • Continent • Europe • City • Boston • County • Suffolk County • State • Massachusetts • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
pocket watches
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

Slave Trade, after a painting by George Morland (English, 1763-1804)

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Broadside calling for violence against abolitionist George Thompson

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pocketwatch inscribed to William Lloyd Garrison from George Thompson

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Civil war shelter tent half owned by George Thompson Garrison

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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.