q2K BHP
Black History Portal
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
What's New!
THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

✊🏾

Civil Rights

Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

⚙️

Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

🏆

Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

♟️

People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

📍

Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

📜

Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
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.

MORE →
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.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
NMAAHC

Scrapbook compiled by Louise Alexander Gunn

Date
1950s - 1970s
Created by
Louise Alexander Gunn, American
Subject of
Bill Gunn, American, 1934 - 1989
Leon Sullivan, American, 1922 - 2001
Lincoln University, American, founded 1866
Ethel Waters, American, 1896 - 1977
Josephine Baker, American, 1906 - 1975
Sam Waymon, American, born 1944
Description
Cloth bound purple and green floral print spiral bound scrapbook containing black-and-white and color photographs along with newspaper clippings and other ephemera dating from the late 1950s to the late 1970s documenting the life of Louise Jackson Gunn in the Philadelphia area. Louise Gunn was an actress, beauty queen, and community activist. The contents of the scrapbook include newspaper clippings and photographs related to Gunn's church groups and activities, including the Zion Drama Workshop; her friendships with other women in the community and from her vaudeville past; and her travels to the Bahamas and Paris, France.
A large portion of the scrapbook is devoted to Gunn’s community work, including scholarship fundraising for Lincoln University, adult education programs, and volunteering at Philadelphia General Hospital. Gunn also documents work with Rev. Leon H. Sullivan and the Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), including efforts to provide school children with free breakfast and to fight housing discrimination.
There are several clippings, photographs, and programs related to her son, the actor and playwright Bill Gunn, including a performance with Ethel Waters and collaborations with musician Sam Waymon. There are also clippings related to performances by Alberta Hunter and Josephine Baker.
Place made
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Activism
Actors
Blues (Music)
Christianity
Civil Rights
Communities
Education
Entertainers
Families
Film
Health
Housing
Jazz (Music)
Motherhood
Musicians
Religion
Social life and customs
Social reform
Theatre
Travel
Vaudeville
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Other
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
2012.46.65.1
Type
scrapbooks
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
newsprint , ink on photographic paper , cardboard , metal and synthetic fiber
Dimensions
11 x 9 1/2 x 1 1/4 in. (27.9 x 24.1 x 3.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Scrapbook compiled by Louise Alexander Gunn
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.46.65.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
SCRAPBOOK COMPILED BY LOUISE ALEXANDER GUNN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s • 1970s
Name
Waters, Ethel • Gunn, Louise Alexander • Gunn, Bill • Baker, Josephine • Lincoln University • Waymon, Sam • Sullivan, Leon Howard
Place
United States • North and Central America • Philadelphia • Pennsylvania
Topic
Description and travel • Activism • Social reform • Communities • Health • Religion • Jazz (Music) • Housing • Actors and actresses • Education • Music • Theatre • Family • Motion pictures • Civil rights • Entertainers • Motherhood • Society • Vaudeville
Culture
Christians • African Americans
Geo Location
City • Philadelphia • State • Pennsylvania • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Scrapbooks
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.

No preview image
NMAAHC

What the Graduates of Lincoln Institute are Doing

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Pennant for Grambling State University

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Robert L. Carter Oral History Interview

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Scrapbook compiled by Louise Alexander Gunn

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
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.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.