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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

Photographic postcard of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey in uniform

Date
1914 - 1918
Photograph by
Alfred Phillip Mighell, English American, 1878 - 1943
Subject of
Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey, Sr., American, 1897 - 1968
369th Infantry Regiment, American, 1913 - 1945
Caption
The 369th United States Infantry, nicknamed the “Harlem Hellfighters,” was the first African American regiment of troops to reach the battlefields of World War I. The 369th Regiment was formed from the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and was recognized as part of the U.S. Army on July 15th, 1917. The regiment arrived in Brest, France on January 1st, 1918, being the first African American U.S. soldiers to arrive in France and initially assigned to dam building and stevedores in charge of loading and unloading cargo. The 369th Regiment, due to racial tension within the US Army was assigned to the French Army for the duration of US involvement in WWI. The 369th were the first Allied troops of the war to reach the banks of the Rhine. Upon completion of the 369th’s service in the war, the regiment had spent 191 days in combat, the longest of any American regiment. The entire 369th Regiment, in appreciation for their actions in the Maison-en-Champagne campaign, was given the Croix de Guerre, a medal awarded by the French Government for acts of bravery in conflicts against the enemy. In addition to this honor, 171 individual members of the 369th Regiment were awarded the Croix de Guerre and the Legion of Honor. The 369th Regiment finished their service in Europe and returned to the US in February 1919.
Description
A photographic postcard of Lawrence McVey in uniform posing at attention. The word [HERO] is inscribed in pencil on the top right corner. On the reverse, there is adhesive residue and a piece of Scotch tape. In pencil, the inscription [Lawrence in World / War one.].
Topic
African American
Military
Photography
World War I
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, Gift of Gina R. McVey, Granddaughter
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.108.17
Type
gelatin silver prints
portraits
photographic postcards
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper, with ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photographic postcard of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey in uniform
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.108.17
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPHIC POSTCARD OF CPL. LAWRENCE LESLIE MCVEY IN UNIFORM
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1910s • 1914-1918
Name
Mighell, Alfred Phillip • McVey,, Lawrence Leslie • 369th Infantry Regiment
Topic
Photography • WW I • World War, 1914-1918 • Military
Culture
African Americans
Type
Postcards • Portraits • Photographs
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

Photograph of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey with his son, Lawrence McVey Jr.

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photographic postcard of Cpl. Lawrence Leslie McVey in uniform

Date: Date

Caption

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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.