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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

Take Your Clothes And Go

Date
1897
Composed by
Irving Jones, American, 1874 - 1932
Subject of
George R. Wilson
Published by
Jos. W. Stern & Co., American
Owned by
Vernon Sugg McDonald, American, 1906 - 1982
Mary Elizabeth Sugg, American, 1839 - 1915
Description
Sheet music for the song Take Your Clothes and Go. The front cover features a black and white image of a woman pointing at a suitcase full of clothes while a man looks at her. The black and blue type on the front cover is set against a white and blue background and reads: [A GENUINE RAG TIME COON ODDITY / TAKE YOUR / CLOTHES AND GO / SUNG WITH / UNBOUNDED / SUCCESS BY / GEO. WILSON OF / PRIMROSE AND WEST'S / MINSTRELS / LEW / DOCHSTADER / IRVING JONES / BILLY FARREL / JOHNSON AND DEAN / AND / OTHER WELLKNOWN / VOCALISTS / WORDS AND MUSIC BY / IRVING / JONES / 5 / LEAVE THIS HOUSE WHEN YOU GET YOUR TRUNK PACKED. / PUBLISHED BY JOS. W. STERN & CO / 45 EAST 20th ST / NEW YORK / FRANK DEAN & CO., 31 Castle St. Oxford St., W., London.]. The interior of the front cover has sheet music for several short songs. The interior of the sheet music contains five pages of musical bars and notes in black ink for the song Take Your Clothes and Go. The back cover has additional sheet music for several more short songs.
Place collected
Sonora, Tuolumne County, California, United States, North and Central America
Place printed
New York City, New York County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Minstrel (Music)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Written Music
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Sylvia Alden Roberts
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.275.10
Type
sheet music
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 14 × 10 7/8 in. (35.6 × 27.6 cm)
Title
Title • Take Your Clothes And Go
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.275.10
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
TAKE YOUR CLOTHES AND GO
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1890s
Name
Sugg, Mary Elizabeth • Jos. W. Stern & Co. • Wilson, George R. • Jones, Irving • McDonald, Vernon Sugg
Place
New York City • New York County • United States • North and Central America • Tuolumne County • California • Sonora
Topic
Minstrel (Music)
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Sonora • County • Tuolumne County • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • New York City • County • New York County • State • New York
Type
Sheet music
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

Photograph of a cocktail party held by Irving Mills

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of a cocktail party held by Irving Mills

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Description

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NMAAHC

Cream and purple hat with fabric flowers

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Take Your Clothes And Go

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.