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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Dress worn by Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons

Date
1979
Created by
Description
This dress was worn by Isabel Sanford as the character Louise Jefferson on the television show "The Jeffersons." The maxi dress is made of a synthetic knit fabric in a brown, rust, and beige design of speckled stripes bordering scallops that alternate facing up and down. The collar is a v-neck in both the front and the back, and is bordered with two strips of synthetic knit fabric in solid brown and rust. The same brown fabric is sewn at the hem in a four (4) inch wide band, that is folded to the back to form a doubled layer and quilted with five (5) horizontal parallel lines. On the exterior center front, a length of the dress fabric is attached to make a small faux belt, which serves to cover the fabric gathered by the interior elastic. This exterior strip is held on both sides by two (2) gold-colored metal buckles covered in clear and light yellow rhinestones. On the back, the dress closes with a dark brown zipper that runs up the center back from the waist to the collar, with an additional closure of a single hook-and-eye at the center back collar.
Orange elastic is stitched to the interior of the center front below the bustline to create a gathered empire waist. The elastic is covered by orange chiffon where it is attached. The length of orange elastic reaches beyond the stitched front portion, being long enough to reach around to the wearer's back waist for additional bust support. No back closure method is apparent on the elastic except for dark brown threads, indicating the elastic was sewn closed after the dress was put on by the wearer. The dress is not lined. An off-white fabric label with black embroidered text is sewn to the interior proper left side of the neck that reads: "THE WARDROBE WING / HOLLYWOOD CALIFORNIA". Three (3) off-white fabric labels are sewn into the side seam just above the hem detail including a retailer's label for "I MAGNIN", care instructions, and sizing.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
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
2013.145.2
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic fiber, metal, rhinestones, and elastic
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form): 55 1/2 × 19 1/2 × 18 in. (141 × 49.5 × 45.7 cm)
H x W (Flat): 56 1/4 × 15 in. (142.9 × 38.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Dress worn by Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.145.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
DRESS WORN BY ISABEL SANFORD AS LOUISE JEFFERSON ON THE JEFFERSONS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1970s
Geo Location
City • Los Angeles • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
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

Dress worn by Isabel Sanford as Louise Jefferson on The Jeffersons

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Carte-de-visite portrait of Isabel and Herbert Howland

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NMAAHC

Clip from Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Of Black America: Black History; Lost, Stolen, or Strayed

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

Who became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.