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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...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

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BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Peach dress and belt worn by Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Date
2011
Designed by
L'Wren Scott, American, 1964 - 2014
Worn by
Oprah Winfrey, American, born 1954
Subject of
Harpo, Inc., American, founded 1986
Description
This peach dress (a) and pleated chiffon belt (b) were designed by L'Wren Scott and worn by Oprah Winfrey during the series finale of The Oprah Winfrey Show in May 2011. The dress is made from a peach twill silk and has a fitted bodice that ends at the natural waist. A band of self-fabric piping trims the scoop neckline. The sleeves are 3/4 length and straight cut. A band of self-fabric decorative piping is sewn near the hem of the sleeves. The pencil skirt falls to the mid-calf and has a 5 1/2-inch slit at the center back. The dress closes at the center back with a metal zipper painted peach to match the fabric, which extends from the neckline to the lower back. One (1) metal hook-and-eye is sewn above the zipper. The interior bodice and skirt of the dress are lined with a cream mesh synthetic fabric, while the sleeves are not lined. A length of peach thread is sewn at each interior top shoulder that can be closed with one (1) small metal snap each. The hem of the skirt is turned to the interior and edged with peach lace on the seam. The hem of the skirt lining is edged in cream lace. A white rectangular fabric label with plum embroidery reading "L'Wren Scott" is sewn at the interior proper left back side below the neckline.
This pleated chiffon belt accompanies the peach dress (a). The chiffon fabric is dyed in an ombre ranging from peach to mauve. The waistband of the belt is faced in the chiffon with only the peach to pale pink ombre. It closes at the proper right front side with three (3) flat metal hook-and-eyes and one (1) metal snap. The closure is behind a stiff rectangular material covered in the peach chiffon. Extending below the closure are three tiered flounces of the pleated chiffon featuring the full range of ombre colors. The interior of the waistband is lined in the same peach fabric used for the dress (a). Four (4) pieces of vertically-oriented boning are sewn inside the lining at intervals around the waistband. A white rectangular fabric label with plum embroidery reading "L'Wren Scott" is sewn at the interior proper left side.
Place used
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Actors
Clothing and dress
Communication
Costume
Design
Entertainers
Fashion
Fashion design
Mass media
Television
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Oprah Winfrey
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2016.7.2ab
Type
dresses
belts (costume accessories)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
a: silk twill, synthetic fiber, and metal fasteners;
b: silk chiffon, silk twill, and metal fasteners
Dimensions
H x W x D ((ab) on form): 43 1/2 × 26 × 14 in. (110.5 × 66 × 35.6 cm)
H x W ((b) flat): 29 × 41 1/4 in. (73.7 × 104.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Peach dress and belt worn by Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Winfrey Show
Record ID
nmaahc_2016.7.2ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PEACH DRESS AND BELT WORN BY OPRAH WINFREY ON THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2010s
Name
Winfrey, Oprah • Scott, L'Wren • Harpo, Inc.
Place
Chicago • United States • Illinois • North and Central America • Cook County
Topic
Design • Television • Actors and actresses • Costume • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Entertainers • Mass media • Communication
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Belts (costume accessories) • Dresses (garments)
Online Media Type
Electronic resource • 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.

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NMAAHC

Studio Portrait of a Woman Sitting, Mary Lou Peaches

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pale peach hat with black net and gold bead accents

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Peach dress and belt worn by Oprah Winfrey on The Oprah Winfrey Show

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Floral peach brocade evening jacket

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

Who became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.