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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...

Wilmington 1898 — An American Coup

Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.

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

White and pink pitcher and washbowl owned by members of the Ellis family

Date
late 19th-early 20th century
Description
A white ceramic pitcher and washbowl set with a decorative pink floral motif. The pitcher's (.1) top rim is shaped in a scalloped pattern which alternates small and large curves, the largest being shaped into the spout. Opposite the spout is a handle that is attached to the side of the neck at the top and the belly, just below the shoulder, at the bottom. The pitcher sits on a circular foot. The lowest two inches of the belly has a scalloped pattern in the porcelain. The pitcher has a glazed surface. On the smooth exterior surface sits an applied transfer ware floral design in pink. The scalloped rim has a gold line painted along the circumference, as does the ridge at the base of the neck, and down the center of the handle that fork into two lines towards the top.
The white porcelain ceramic washbowl (.2) has a round, wide-mouthed, somewhat shallow bowl. The top rim has a double ridge lip. The bowl sits on a circular ridge of a base. The bowl has a glazed surface. The smooth inside is decorated with an applied transfer ware floral design in pink, while the outside is white with a scallop pattern in the porcelain on the lower half. The upper rim has a gold line painted along the circumference, as does the bowl itself along the top edge of the scallop pattern.
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Clara Ellis Payne
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.42.9.1-.2
Type
pitchers
washbowls
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
porcelain and pigment
Dimensions
H x W x D (.1): 11 1/2 × 9 1/2 × 8 in. (29.2 × 24.1 × 20.3 cm)
H x W x D (.2): 5 1/8 × 15 1/8 × 15 1/8 in. (13 × 38.4 × 38.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • White and pink pitcher and washbowl owned by members of the Ellis family
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.42.9.1-.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
WHITE AND PINK PITCHER AND WASHBOWL OWNED BY MEMBERS OF THE ELLIS FAMILY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s • 1870s
Geo Location
County • Orange County • State • Virginia • 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.

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Ronald “Smoky” Stevens leads the D. C. Black Repertory Theater troupe exercising before the evening concert at Glen Echo Park Md

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NMAAHC

Football commemorating Eddie Robinson's 324th win at Grambling State University

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Four sewing needles on a paper holder from Mae's Millinery shop

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NMAAHC

White and pink pitcher and washbowl owned by members of the Ellis family

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 became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.