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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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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

Tintype photograph of a man identified as James Turner, with two women

Date
ca. 1873
Photograph by
H.G. Pearce, American, active 1860s-1870s
Subject of
James Turner, American
Unidentified Woman or Women
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, American, founded 1843
Caption
This tintype photograph of a man in Grand United Order of Odd Fellows regalia came into the collection identified as a photograph of James Turner and accompanied by a membership certificate for Turner in the Prince Hall Freemasons Celestial Lodge No. 2 of Rhode Island. It is possible Turner was a member of both the G.U.O.O. F. and the freemasons, or the identification of Turner in the photograph may be a misattribution. The embroidery on the collar “P.N.F.” likely means “Past Noble Father,” the highest degree of Odd Fellowship in the order’s structure. The two unidentified women may have been members of the Household of Ruth, the G.U.O.O.F. women’s auxiliary organization.
Description
A tintype photograph depicting a man identified as James Turner seated in Grand United Order of Odd Fellows regalia and flanked by two standing unidentified women. The tintype is in a magenta colored paper frame with gold designs around the edges. The full-length portrait shows the man sitting in a chair, wearing a dark jacket, vest and pants over a light colored shirt, and wearing a G.U.O.O.F. apron and collar. The wide collar is dark-colored with light colored fringe trim and embroidery on both sides in a vine and flower design. "P. N. F." is embroidered at the top of the proper left side of the collar and a sunburst design is on the proper right side. His proper right hand rests on his knee and he is looking straight at the camera. The two women stand on either side of him, their hands on his shoulders. They both wear ensembles with jackets in a striped fabric with a row of center buttons. They also have small purses on long straps across their chests. The woman on the right wears a light colored bonnet and dark colored gloves, holding a fan in her proper left hand. The woman on the left wears a dark colored hat and fingerless gloves. The cheeks of both women have been given a slightly rosy tint. The back of the frame has the mark of the photographer printed in an elaborate gold ribbon design in the center, [37 Westminster St. / H.G. PEARCE / Providence, R.I.], surrounded by a gold frame with floral motif.
Place captured
Providence, Rhode Island, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Associations and institutions
Communities
Fraternal organizations
Men
Photography
Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
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
2011.57.16.1
Type
tintypes
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
collodion and silver on iron with lacquer
Dimensions
H x W (Image and Mount): 4 1/2 × 3 in. (11.4 × 7.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Tintype photograph of a man identified as James Turner, with two women
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.57.16.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
TINTYPE PHOTOGRAPH OF A MAN IDENTIFIED AS JAMES TURNER, WITH TWO WOMEN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1860s • 1870s
Name
Grand United Order of Odd Fellows • Pearce, H.G. • Turner, James
Place
Rhode Island • Providence • United States • North and Central America
Topic
Photography • Communities • Fraternal organizations • Men • Associations and institutions • Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Providence • State • Rhode Island • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
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.

NMAAHC

Tintype photograph of a man identified as James Turner, with two women

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Caption

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NMAAHC

Wooden knife

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Description

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NMAAHC

Wooden fork

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NMAAHC

Wooden knife

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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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.