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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
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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

Polaroid of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino marquee taken by Donna Summer

Date
ca. 1979
Photograph by
Donna Summer, American, 1948 - 2012
Manufactured by
Eastman Kodak Company, founded 1889
Subject of
Donn Arden, American, died 1994
MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, American, 1973 - 1986
Description
A color polaroid photograph of the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel and Casino marquee taken by Donna Summer. The photograph has a thick white border that is wider at the bottom, with a color image at the top center. The freestanding, roadside marquee is shown slightly right of center. The marquee is white and roughly hexagonal in shape with two supporting concrete columns at the base. Perched at the top center of the marquee is an unlit neon sign that reads [MGM]. Below is the top third of the marquee, with a [CELEBRITY ROOM] sign at the top center and with the headliner names below in large black text that reads [DONNA SUMMER / DAVID BRENNER]. Above Brenner’s name is smaller black text that read [MUSICAL DIRECTOR EN LANE]. The center panel of the marquee features at small black sign at the top that reads [ZIEGFELD THEATRE]. Red and black text on the marquee below reads [MGM PRESENTS DONN ADREN’S / HALLELUJAH / HOLLYWOOD!] with smaller black text in the bottom left corner that reads [NIGHTLY / 9 P.M.-12.30AM / NOW / SATURDAYS 3 SHOWS / 9 PM – 12 – 230 AM]. The bottom third of the marquee features blue, black, and red text in varying sizes and fonts that reads [jai alai / PARI MUTUEL BETTING / NIGHTLY EXCEP[sic] MONDAYS] on the left and [GRAND “Q’ / $2 CAN WIN / $5000 TO $50,000 / POOLS] on the right. Near the bottom of the top third of the marquee are two men on a suspended scaffold who appear to be changing the marquee headliner names. Behind the marquee is the multistory hotel, palm trees, and a gradient dark to light blue sky. The back of the polaroid is black with a white frame. The date and film code, [07097805201], is printed in the bottom left corner with [POLAROID ®] in the right corner.
Place captured
Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American West
Amusements
Composers (Musicians)
Disco (Music)
Nightlife
Photography
Singers (Musicians)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
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
2023.85.4
Type
dye diffusion transfer prints
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown – Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
dye on photographic paper
Dimensions
H x W x D (Sheet): 4 1/4 × 3 1/2 × 1/16 in. (10.8 × 8.9 × 0.2 cm)
H x W (Image): 3 1/8 × 3 1/16 in. (7.9 × 7.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Polaroid of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino marquee taken by Donna Summer
Record ID
nmaahc_2023.85.4
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
POLAROID OF THE MGM GRAND HOTEL AND CASINO MARQUEE TAKEN BY DONNA SUMMER
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1970s
Name
MGM Grand Hotel and Casino • Summer, Donna • Arden, Donn • Eastman Kodak Company
Place
United States • North and Central America • Clark County • Las Vegas • Nevada
Topic
Nightlife • Photography • Amusements • Disco (Music) • American West • Composers (Musicians) • Singers (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Las Vegas • County • Clark County • State • Nevada • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Photographs
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible

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

Ali vs. Patterson, Las Vegas, 1965

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Ticket to a championship boxing match between Floyd Patterson and Sonny Liston

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Slim Thug and Paul Wall at the V Theatre

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Polaroid of the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino marquee taken by Donna Summer

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 Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.