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Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
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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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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

Flag of the First Republic of Haiti

Date
early 19th century
Manufactured by
Unidentified
Description
A flag of the First Republic of Haiti. The flag is composed of two horizontal bands of worsted bunting, blue over red. Sewn onto the center of both sides of the flag is a square panel of off-white linen with the coat of arms of the Republic of Haiti painted in oil. The coat of arms consists of a royal palm tree on a green ground surmounted by a red Phrygian cap or “cap of liberty” and with a drum at its base. Flanking the palm on each side are three national flags, a bronze fieldpiece and stacked cannon balls, along with stands of muskets and bayonets. Below is a red scroll edged and lettered in yellow, bearing the words “REPUBLIQUE D’HAYTI.” The hoist end of the flag consists of a doubled reinforcing strip of light hemp or linen canvas with a hand-worked grommet hole at each end. The reverse of the hoist bears the label "HAYTIAN" written in iron-gall ink. All seams of the flag are flat-felled and handsewn with a running stitch of two-strand linen thread, much of which bears traces of rosin and/or wax.
Place made
Haiti, Caribbean, Latin America, North and Central America
Topic
African American
African diaspora
Communities
Decolonization
Government
Identity
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Textiles and Quilts
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
2020.46
Type
flags
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
canvas and linen with oil paint
Dimensions
H x W: 36 × 60 in. (91.4 × 152.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Flag of the First Republic of Haiti
Record ID
nmaahc_2020.46
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
FLAG OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC OF HAITI
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1800s • 1840s
Place
Haiti • North and Central America • Caribbean • Latin America
Topic
African diaspora • Communities • Government • Decolonization • Group identity
Culture
African Americans • Africans
Geo Location
Country • Haiti • Subregion • Caribbean • Region • Latin America • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Flags
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

Flag of the First Republic of Haiti

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pinback button with "US / UN HANDS OFF HAITI"

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Masters of the Dew: A Novel of Haiti

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Cab Calloway Home Movie: Haiti

Date: Date

Caption

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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 heavyweight champion was known as the “Brown Bomber”?

Joe Louis.