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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...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

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

Yellow sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre

Date
ca. 2021
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. She wore this dress on May 26, 2021, for her first daily White House press briefing, serving as deputy press secretary.
Description
A yellow sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre. The dress is made of crepe triacetate and polyester. It has a V neckline with a triangular notch cut out on each side of the neckline. The short cap sleeves end at the middle of each armscye. A dart is sewn at the top of the shoulder with gathering along the dart. The dress has a center front seam with a dart on each side that starts at the bustline and ends at the hem. A shorter dart is sewn on the outside of each of the side darts. A geometric panel is sewn at waist level, starting at each side dart and widening at the side seams. The back of the dress has a center back seam, a twenty-five-inch zipper with a metal pull and plastic teeth is sewn along the center back seam. A princess seam is sewn on each side of the center back zipper. A nine-inch vent is sewn at the bottom of the center back seam. The neckline and sleeves are self-faced. The dress is lined in a blend of yellow acetate and elastane. The hem of the exterior fabric and lining have a single fold and are sewn together. The dress is machine sewn. A looped black synthetic grosgrain ribbon is sewn at the bottom of each armscye along the self-facing. The ribbon is printed with the text [KAREN MILLEN] in white. A label is sewn to the proper left side of the center back zipper which reads [KAREN MILLEN]. To the right in smaller text the label reads [UK 8 / US 4 / EU 36 / MADE IN ROMANIA]. A manufacturing label is sewn at the interior along the proper left side seam which includes the 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
2025.31.1
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
triacetate and polyester blend, acetate and elastane blend, metal, and padding
Dimensions
Length (shoulder to hem): 38 in. (96.5 cm)
Width (shoulder to shoulder): 14 in. (35.6 cm)
Waist (flat): 12 3/4 in. (32.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Yellow sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre
Record ID
nmaahc_2025.31.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
YELLOW SHEATH DRESS WORN BY KARINE JEAN-PIERRE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2020s
Geo Location
City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • 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

Caption

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NMAAHC

Pink sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Yellow sheath dress worn by Karine Jean-Pierre

Date: Date

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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

Which Supreme Court case ruled state-sponsored public-school segregation unconstitutional?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.