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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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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

Light taupe dress with beaded embellishments

Date
ca.1965
Created by
Description
A light taupe shift dress with beaded embellishments. Synthetic (likely nylon) net on the dress's exterior is machine stitched to synthetic organza. The dress has a rounded unfinished neckline and raglan sleeves that end at wrist length. Strings of peals ending in a teardrop jewel are tacked to the top two thirds of the sleeve. The ends of the sleeves have raw edges and are unfished. The body of the dress is embellished with various beads and rhinestones. These embellishments include clusters of seed beads, bugle beads with pearls, strings of pearls ending in a teardrop jewel, sequins, plastic rhinestones and metal sequin leaves in the shape of a flower. The dress has an unfinished raw hem. The top of the center back seam is left unstitched from the neckline to the waistline.
Cataloging Notes
This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2007.3.615
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic net, synthetic organza, plastic beads, glass beads, plastic rhinestones, metal, and plastic sequins
Dimensions
L x W: 42 × 14 1/2 in. (106.7 × 36.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Light taupe dress with beaded embellishments
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.615
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
LIGHT TAUPE DRESS WITH BEADED EMBELLISHMENTS
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.

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Jewel and Lisa Glasberg

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NMAAHC

Jewel toned fabric hat with teal bow embellishment from Mae's Millinery Shop

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NMAAHC

Light taupe dress with beaded embellishments

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Description

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NMAAHC

Nobody Like Jesus / I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

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

Who became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.