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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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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

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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

Black leather jacket worn by Gil Scott-Heron

Date
late 20th century
Manufactured by
Jos. A. Bank, founded 1905
Worn by
Gil Scott-Heron, American, 1949 - 2011
Description
A black leather bomber style jacket worn by Gil Scott-Heron. The jacket zips at the center front. The cuffs, hem, and neck are all made from a black ribbed double knit synthetic fiber with elasticity. There are two (2) welted inset pockets, one at each exterior waist. The jacket is fully lined with black synthetic fabric. There are two (2) interior inset pockets, one at each breast. The pocket at the interior proper left breast closes with one (1) metal snap. There is one (1) interior patch pocket made from black leather sewn at the proper left waist, with the words "Jos. A. / Bank" stamped on the leather. A black manufacturer's tag is sewn at the interior center back with white embroidered text reading "Jos. A. / BANK / ESTABLISHED 1905 / L / REG / MADE IN / CHINA". A care and fiber content tag is sewn at the interior proper left waist side seam. Two dry cleaner's paper tag are safety pinned to the interior proper right waist. A braided leather hanger loop is attached at the interior center back neck.
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Musicians
Spoken word (Poetry)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Rumal Rackley
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.52.1
Type
jackets
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
leather, polyester, acrylic, and wool with metal closures
Dimensions
H x W (flat): 30 1/4 × 21 in. (76.8 × 53.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black leather jacket worn by Gil Scott-Heron
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.52.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK LEATHER JACKET WORN BY GIL SCOTT-HERON
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2000s • 1970s
Name
Scott-Heron, Gilbert • Jos. A. Bank
Topic
Spoken word (Poetry) • Clothing and dress
Culture
African Americans
Type
jackets
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

Josephine, My Jo.

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photographic print of Sam Cooke and Betty Jo Spyropulos at Club Harlem

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Rev. Dr. Grainger Browning (center), senior pastor of Ebenezer AME Church, kneels down in prayer upon entering the pulpit. Pastor Browning and Co-Pastor Jo Ann Browning (center, right) are in the vanguard of husband/wife pastorships in America, Fort Washington, Maryland, 1997

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Black leather jacket worn by Gil Scott-Heron

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 heavyweight champion was known as the “Brown Bomber”?

Joe Louis.