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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

Marriage license for Gaston Hall and Dido Howard from Talbot County, Georgia

Date
1866
Printed by
West Georgia Gazette
Subject of
Gaston Hall
Dido Howard
Stephen Grimes, American
Marion Bethune
Caption
The following objects in the Acacia Collection provide a powerful tangible connection to the African American experience and the story of the development of the nation. The collection features objects made by, owned by, used by and in some instances cherished by members of the community of enslaved African Americans and free people of color. From indigo dyed coverlets, to intricately designed quilts, from early instances of traditional basketry to the craftsmanship of Edgefield potters, and from the investment in slavery with Confederate bonds to the telling documents related to the slave trade, all are important pieces in telling the story of Slavery and Freedom in the nation.
Description
This is a marriage license between Gaston Hall and Dido Howard from 1866. It consists of a rectangular piece of paper with both pre-printed and handwritten text. Across the top margin is pre-printed text “Georgia” followed by a blank space with handwritten text “Talbot” and pre-printed text “County.” Further down the page pre-printed text reads “You are Hereby Authorized/ to Join” and in handwritten text “Gaston Hall (freedman and /Dido Howard (freedwoman).” This is followed by pre-printed text “In the Holy State of / MATRIMONY/ According to the Constitution and Laws of this State, and for which this shall be your/ sufficient License./ Given under my hand and Seal, this 18 [handwritten] day of Dec [handwritten] 1866 [handwritten]/ Marion Bethune [handwritten] Ordinary.” Two narrow horizontal lines divide the page into a separate section with pre-printed text and faded handwritten text. It reads “Georgia, [blank] County,/ I do hereby certify, that Gaston Hall (freedman)[handwritten]/ and Dido Howard (freedwoman) [handwritten] were duly joined in Matrimony, by me, this 22 [handwritten] day of December [handwritten] 1866 [handwritten]/ Stephen Grimes, J.P. [handwritten].” The license is outlined by a decorative pre-printed paisley border. There is a handwritten note on the reverse side on the upper right margin “[Gaston Hall/ Dido Howard].” There are numerous small smudge marks throughout the front page of the document.
Place used
Georgia, United States, North and Central America
Place collected
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American South
Emancipation
Families
Government
Marriage customs and rites
Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
Slavery
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Documents and Manuscripts
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
2017.108.10.1
Type
marriage licenses
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W (2017.108.10.1 doc): 10 9/16 × 8 5/16 in. (26.8 × 21.1 cm)
H x W x D (2017.108.10.1 overall): 20 × 16 × 7/16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 × 1.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Marriage license for Gaston Hall and Dido Howard from Talbot County, Georgia
Record ID
nmaahc_2017.108.10.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
MARRIAGE LICENSE FOR GASTON HALL AND DIDO HOWARD FROM TALBOT COUNTY, GEORGIA
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1860s
Name
West Georgia Gazette • Howard, Dido • Hall, Gaston • Grimes, Stephen • Bethune, Marion
Place
United States • North and Central America • Georgia
Topic
Slavery • American South • Government • Family • Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877 • Emancipation • Marriage
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
State • Georgia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Marriage records
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

Marriage license for Gaston Hall and Dido Howard from Talbot County, Georgia

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Letter to Richard Howard from Vice Pres. Richard Nixon, July 22, 1960

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Letter to Richard Howard from Vice Pres. Richard Nixon, October 22, 1960

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Hoodie worn by Rev. Dr. Howard-John Wesley delivering a sermon on Trayvon Martin

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 Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.