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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...

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

Torah scroll from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

Date
ca. 1850
Created by
Unidentified
Owned by
Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, American, founded 1984
Description
A handwritten Torah scroll containing the five books of the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy) handwritten in Hebrew on parchment. The scroll is rolled onto two wooden shafts topped on either end with four plates. The shafts and plates are known as Torah rollers [atzei chaim or "trees of life"]. The wooden and metal plates at the top of the left and right shafts are identical. The exterior sides of the top plates have been finished with two bands of inlaid metal resembling rope. Between the bands there is an alternating pattern of decorative brass tacks and larger white-coated, round bores holes that expose the metal plates beneath the wood. Inside the decorative bands near the center of the plates, are paper disks, inscribed in Hebrew and covered with protective clear, plastic film disks that have been secured in place with brass nails. At the top of the left roller, the finial is missing due to loss and has been wrapped in white, cloth tape. The spindle-shaped finial of the right roller is a wooden peg, covered with a length of metal tubing and three differently colored spindle-turned elements. The finials at the bottom of the Torah are both spindle shaped with matching plates but mismatched spindle-shaped handles. The left handle is darker than the right, has a different design and is shorter in length than the right handle.
Place used
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Place made
Poland, Europe
Topic
African American
Black Hebraic religions
Identity
Judaism
Religion
Worship services
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture; Gift of Rabbi Capers Funnye and the Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.88.1
Type
scrolls (information artifacts)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood and ink on parchment and sinew with alloy steel, brass, metal, paper and plastic
Dimensions
H x W x D: 37 11/16 × 14 3/4 × 6 11/16 in. (95.7 × 37.5 × 17 cm)
Title
Object Name • Torah scroll from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.88.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
TORAH SCROLL FROM BETH SHALOM B'NAI ZAKEN ETHIOPIAN HEBREW CONGREGATION
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1840s • 1860s
Name
Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation
Place
Chicago • United States • Illinois • North and Central America • Europe • Poland • Cook County
Topic
Judaism • Worship services • Black Hebraic religions • Group identity
Culture
Jews • African Americans
Geo Location
City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • Country • Poland • Continent • Europe
Type
Scrolls (information artifacts)
Online Media Type
Electronic resource
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.

NMAAHC

Shofar from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Lesser Chrysoprase

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NMAAHC

Lesser, But Not Least

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NMAAHC

Torah scroll from Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

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 heavyweight champion was known as the “Brown Bomber”?

Joe Louis.