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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

Black cape from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle

Date
1974
Designed by
Dorian Blakely
Worn by
Nona Hendryx, American, born 1944
Subject of
Labelle, American, founded 1962
Description
This cape is part of a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle. The costume consists of a headdress (.1), a cape (.2), silver studded black leather collar, breast covers, and codpiece (.3a-d), wrist cuffs (.4ab), platform boots (.5ab), prop handcuffs (.6), and a prop riding crop (.7).
The floor-length cape (.2) is made of a black synthetic fabric with a shiny finish. The cape is open in the front, with no armholes, and closes with a silver metal zipper that runs from the upper edge of the bustline to the upper neck just below the chin. A tight-fitting hood, made from the same black material, is attached at the back neck. The collar and shoulders of the cape have attached padded decorations consisting of a wide collar made of two layers of the black material with batting between them that are quilted in undulating concentric lines. The sides of the bib are folded in an accordion fashion to create a wing-like structure on each shoulder. The edges of these wings contain stiff wire that is molded to the shape and sewn inside the outermost edge of the layers of black material. The seams of the quilted lines are obscured by lengths of small silver ball chain. Long lengths of the ball chain extend from the end of the shoulders with both ends attached, creating long loops in a concentric half-oval down the sides of the cape. The hem of the cape is padded and quilted with three (3) parallel lines, with the seams also covered in the silver ball chain.
The interior of the cape is not lined. There are custom-made oversized shoulder pads to support the quilted collar and wings.
This costume is very similar to a costume worn by Hendryx during a performance at the Metropolitan Opera House on October 6, 1974.
Place used
Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, Manhattan County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Costume
Costume design
Design
Disco (Music)
Funk (Music)
Rhythm and blues (Music)
Rock and roll (Music)
Singers (Musicians)
Soul (Music)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Movement
Afrofuturism
Exhibition
Musical Crossroads
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Nona Hendryx of Labelle
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.246.2.2
Type
capes (outerwear)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic fiber, metal, batting, and wire
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form): 68 × 26 × 25 in. (172.7 × 66 × 63.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black cape from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.246.2.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK CAPE FROM A COSTUME WORN BY NONA HENDRYX OF LABELLE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1970s
Name
Hendryx, Nona • Labelle • Blakely, Dorian
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America • Metropolitan Opera House • Manhattan County
Topic
Design • Afrofuturism • Disco (Music) • Rock and roll (Music) • Soul (Music) • Funk (Music) • Costume • Clothing and dress • Singers (Musicians) • Rhythm and blues (Music)
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Musical Crossroads
Geo Location
Locale • Metropolitan Opera House • City • New York City • County • Manhattan County • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Capes (outerwear)
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
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.

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NMAAHC

Black cape from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Prop riding crop from a costume worn by Nona Hendryx of Labelle

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Costume dress for Lady in Orange from for colored girls... on Broadway

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Costume dress for Lady in Purple from for colored girls... on Broadway

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.