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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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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

Lettering of To-day

Date
1937
Description
Hardcover copy of “Lettering of To-day” with tan binding and 145 pages. The book has printed red text on the center front cover in a stylized font that reads [LETTERING / of / Today]. The title is printed vertically on the spine in the same red text as the cover. The lower spine has [745 / L56] handwritten in a lighter tan ink. Below this is printed red text which reads [STUDIO] between horizontal lines. The back cover is blank. There is a bookplate for Howard University Libraries on the reverse front cover. This bookplate is printed in light brown on a white background with a leaf border with the school seal and says [Howard University / Libraries] in the center. The last page is loose and has a library checkout card with printed text which reads [Date Due] and has stamps from 1964-1975 from when the book was checked out. Paper adhered to the reverse of the back cover in the lower right cover has the library call number (also on the lower spine) and title printed in black ink. The title page has a black and white bookplate with three images of Lois Mailou Jones which reads [Lois Jones / Pierre-Noel / EX LIBRIS]. The book has handwritten inscriptions. A Howard University student employment form and a Department of Art chairmanship ballot were found in this book and are available in the catalog file.
Title
Book from the library of artist Loïs Mailou Jones
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Books and Published Materials
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
2016.26.5.19
Type
hardcover books
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W x D: 11 1/2 × 8 5/16 × 3/4 in. (29.2 × 21.1 × 1.9 cm)
Title
Title • Lettering of To-day
Record ID
nmaahc_2016.26.5.19
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
LETTERING OF TO-DAY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1930s
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.

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NMAAHC

Howard University history professor emeritus Dr. Chancellor Williams awaits his turn to speak at the Ujama School about the Humphrey-Hawkins Bill and the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Brown versus Board of Education.

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Portrait of Mora Howard

Date: Date

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NMAAHC

Lettering of To-day

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of William Naylor Buckner Jr.

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.