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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Explore Black History

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

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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

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People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the 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

Flight helmet worn by Thunderbird pilot Gen. Lloyd W. Newton

Date
ca. 1974
Caption
Lloyd W. “Fig” Newton graduated from Tennessee State University in 1966 and became an Air Force fighter pilot. He flew 269 combat missions, including 79 over North Vietnam. In 1974, Newton became the first African American pilot in the Air Force’s Thunderbirds. He retired from the Air Force in 2000 as a four-star general.
Description
Red, white, and blue flight helmet with black visor. Flight helmet is predominantly red, with an illustration on the back. Illustration on helmet depicts an eagle with four fighter jets in a white star at its center. Blue stars set against a white background surround the eagle. Blue type below the eagle reads, [Thunderbirds]. At PR and PL sides of helmet are metal mechanisms that the flight oxygen mask clips in to. Type on each of the mechanisms reads, [60C4459/IMCO PRECISION/PRODUCTS INC.]. Painted at the center of the helmet's front is [Fig]. Helmet's visor is adjustable using a white knob. Type on white knob reads, [LOCK ASST. VISOR/8475-722-7292/ F/N 66D1722/SHEPARD AIRTRONICS INC.].
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Clothing - Military Uniforms
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of General Lloyd "Fig" Newton
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.221ab
Type
helmets
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
plastic , leather , metal , nylon , cloth
Dimensions
H x W x D: 35 × 10 × 10 1/2 in. (88.9 × 25.4 × 26.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Flight helmet worn by Thunderbird pilot Gen. Lloyd W. Newton
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.221ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
FLIGHT HELMET WORN BY THUNDERBIRD PILOT GEN. LLOYD W. NEWTON
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1960s • 1970s
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

Ohio State Buckeyes football helmet worn by Archie Griffin

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Flight helmet worn by Thunderbird pilot Gen. Lloyd W. Newton

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Flight helmet used by Colonel James E. Randall

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Seattle Mariners batting helmet worn by Ken Griffey Jr.

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

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

The Greenwood District.