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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...

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

Cream sleeveless dress and jacket designed by Zelda Wynn

Date
ca. 1965
Designed by
Zelda Wynn, American, 1905 - 2001
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Description
A cream sleeveless dress and jacket designed by Zelda Wynn. The sheath dress (a) is made of silk satin it has a V neckline with a diagonal bust dart on each side. Three vertical shaping darts are sewn below each bust dart which extend to the hips. The hem has come undone, a crease line shows where the dress was originally finished. The bottom edge of the hem is finished with a cream synthetic ribbon. The back of the dress has a lower V neckline with a center back seam and a shaping dart on each side of the seam. A twelve-and three-quarter length plastic zipper with a metal pull is hand sewn along the center back seam. The dress is lined with a cream silk synthetic blend which mostly mimics the construction of the exterior of the dress. Lingerie guards made of metal snaps and wrapped thread are sewn below each shoulder. The lining is hand sewn to the exterior of the garment. The lining has a raw edge and is left unstitched at the hem. A woven fabric label is sewn to the proper left side of the center back opening which reads [Zelda Wynn / NEW YORK, N.Y.].
The jacket (b) is made of the same fabric as the dress, it is single breasted and has a single notched collar. Three self-fabric covered plastic buttons are sewn to the proper left side that align with three bound buttonholes on the proper right side. A metal snap covered in cream silk synthetic is sewn above the top button and below the bottom button which corresponds to a snap on the other side of the opening. The elbow length sleeves have no armscyes seam rather are constructed of the same panel that comprises the top center portion of the jacket. A princess seam is sewn to each side of the center front opening which connects to the front side panels. A seam is sewn above the top button and buttonhole which curves slightly upwards at the center and ends at each princess seam. The jacket has a center back seam with the two back panels also creating the back of the sleeves. A dart is sewn to each side of the center back opening below the collar. The jacket is lined with silk synthetic pink and green floral print on a cream background which is hand stitched to the jacket along the edges. The jacket is self-faced along the center front opening. A woven fabric label is sewn to the center back interior which reads [Zelda Wynn / NEW YORK, N.Y.].
Cataloging Notes
This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Place made
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Black Enterprise
Clothing and dress
Fashion
Fashion design
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2007.3.166ab
Type
dresses
jackets
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silk twill, silk synthetic, synthetic ribbon, synthetic, metal, and plastic
Dimensions
a: dress
Length (a: shoulder to hem): 43 1/2 in. (110.5 cm)
Width (a: shoulder to shoulder): 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm)
Waist (a: flat): 17 in. (43.2 cm)
b: jacket
Length (b: shoulder to hem): 26 in. (66 cm)
Width (b: shoulder to shoulder): 20 in. (50.8 cm)
Waist (b: flat): 19 3/4 in. (50.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Cream sleeveless dress and jacket designed by Zelda Wynn
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.166ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
CREAM SLEEVELESS DRESS AND JACKET DESIGNED BY ZELDA WYNN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1960s • 1970s
Name
Wynn, Zelda • Black Fashion Museum
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America
Topic
Design • Black Enterprise • Clothing and dress • Fashion
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Dresses (garments) • jackets
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

Black beaded dress designed by Zelda Wynn and worn by Ella Fitzgerald

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Cream sleeveless dress and jacket designed by Zelda Wynn

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Blue and green dress with jacket by Zelda Wynn

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Beaded gown designed by Zelda Wynn for Eartha Kitt

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 Supreme Court case ruled state-sponsored public-school segregation unconstitutional?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.