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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...

Ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century

Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Details recorded here should be sourced; unknown information is left blank.

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

Pink sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre

Date
ca. 2019
Created by
Caption
Karine Jean-Pierre official became the 35th White House press secretary on May 13, 2022 after serving as the White House principal deputy press secretary from January 20, 2021. She was the first Black woman to hold a White House press briefing since Judy Smith in 1991 and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to ever hold a briefing in the White House. Similarly, she is the first Black person and openly LGBTQ+ person to hold the position of White House press secretary. Jean-Pierre wore this dress during her interview with then-Senator Kamala Harris at the MoveOn Big Ideas Presidential Forum in San Francisco on June 1, 2019.
Description
A pink sheath dress with an ascot collar worn by Karine Jean-Pierre. The dress is made of polyester and spandex blended crepe. It has a folded band collar with a draped ascot at the front, slightly offset to the proper left side. The ascot is made of two panels of fabric which end in diagonals, the top panel is shorter than the bottom one. The two pieces of the ascot are sewn together, close to the top of the collar. The sheath dress is sleeveless and has princess seams. The dress ends slightly above the knees. The dress has a center back seam with a twenty-one-inch zipper with a metal pull and plastic teeth. A metal hook and eye are sewn above the zipper at the collar. An eleven-inch vertical shaping dart is sewn on each side of the center back zipper. A five-inch vent is placed at the bottom of the center back seam. The dress is self-faced along the collar. The dress is lined in pink polyester. The lining and exterior fabric are left unsewn to one another at the hemline. The hem of the exterior has a single fold and is finished with machine overlock stitching. The hem of the lining has a single fold to the exterior and is finished with a row of machine running stitches. A label is sewn to the proper left side of the center back zipper which reads [Harper Rose]. A smaller label attached below reads [2P / MADE IN VIETNAM]. A manufacturing label is sewn at the interior along the proper left side seam which includes fiber content and care information.
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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 Karine Jean-Pierre
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2025.31.2
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
polyester, spandex, metal, and plastic
Dimensions
Length (shoulder to hem): 34 1/2 in. (87.6 cm)
Width (shoulder to shoulder): 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
Waist (flat): 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pink sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre
Record ID
nmaahc_2025.31.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PINK SHEATH DRESS WORN BY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2010s
Geo Location
City • San Francisco • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Online Media Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions

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

Handwritten note from President Barack Obama to Karine Jean-Pierre

Date: Date

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NMAAHC

Pink sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre

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NMAAHC

Yellow sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre

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NMAAHC

Red pleated dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre as White House press secretary

Date: Date

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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.