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THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
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

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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

Watch fob made of ivory beads owned by Lew Snowden

Date
1870s
Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Lew Snowden, American, 1848 - 1923
Description
A watch fob owned by Lew Snowden. The fob is made of twenty-one (21) ivory beads and a metal “T” shaped clasp on a leather cord. The beads are different shapes and sizes. Each bead has a geometric pattern incised on it.
Place used
Knox County, Ohio, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Families
Fashion
Folk (Music)
Free communities of color
Instrumentalists (Musicians)
Music
Musicians
Popular music
Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
Slavery
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Jewelry and Adornment
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Howard L. Sacks and Judith Rose Sacks from the Snowden Collection
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2024.65.2
Type
fobs
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ivory, leather, metal
Dimensions
H x W x D: 7 1/16 × 13/16 × 13/16 in. (18 × 2 × 2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Watch fob made of ivory beads owned by Lew Snowden
Record ID
nmaahc_2024.65.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
WATCH FOB MADE OF IVORY BEADS OWNED BY LEW SNOWDEN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1870s
Name
Snowden, Lew
Place
United States • North and Central America • Knox County • Ohio
Topic
Slavery • Music • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Family • Folk (Music) • Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877 • Free communities of color • Instrumentalists (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
County • Knox County • State • Ohio • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
jewelry
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

Group portrait of the Christmas cast party for Lew Leslie's "Blackbirds of 1928"

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Framed studio portrait of Lew Snowden

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Watch fob made of ivory beads owned by Lew Snowden

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Framed print of Lew Snowden

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

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.