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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

M is for Mississippi and Murder

Date
November 1955
Created by
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909
Subject of
Rev. George W. Lee, American, 1903 - 1955
Lamar "Ditney" Smith, American, 1892 - 1955
Emmett Till, American, 1941 - 1955
Caption
This flier, from a collection of documents related to the Boston chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), provides insight into the Northern reaction to the violence against African Americans in the American South.
On August 28, 1955, 14-year-old Emmett Till was brutally lynched in Drew, Mississippi. The murder and subsequent acquittal of the perpetrators were catalysts for a new determination among African Americans in the fight for civil rights. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley said, "The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all!!!"
In the same year, Lamar Smith, a farmer and World War I veteran, was shot and killed on the courthouse steps of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and George W. Lee, a grocery store owner and director of the local NAACP branch, was murdered in Belzoni, Mississippi, both in retaliation for encouraging Blacks to register to vote. The violence shocked the nation and inspired new action in the Civil Rights Movement across the country.
Description
Printed and illustrated seven-page pamphlet created by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to bring attention to the violence and murder erupting in Mississippi starting in 1954 to the fall of 1955. The front cover of the pamphlet has the title featuring three large, upper case M's formatted vertically with the center M in red while the top and bottom M's are grey. There are eight (8) pages total. The interior pages have text titled "Backdrop for Murder" and accented with three bright red checkmarks in front of sections on pages 4 and 5 that list the murder victims Rev. George W. Lee, Lamar Smith, and Emmett Till. The back of the pamphlet has a line drawn map of the delta region of Mississippi. Red dots mark locations where violent events have occurred in the state. There is a stamp in black ink for the Boston branch of the NAACP.
Place depicted
Mississippi, United States, North and Central America
Place printed
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Place used
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
Title
NAACP pamphlet highlighting the violence in Mississippi
Topic
African American
Civil Rights
Violence
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Political and Activist Ephemera
Movement
Civil Rights Movement
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
2012.46.34.26
Type
pamphlets
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W: 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 14 cm)
Title
Title • M is for Mississippi and Murder
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.46.34.26
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
M IS FOR MISSISSIPPI AND MURDER
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s
Name
Smith, Lamar "Ditney" • Till, Emmett • National Association for the Advancement of Colored People • Lee, George Washington
Place
New York City • Mississippi • United States • North and Central America • Massachusetts • Suffolk County • Boston
Topic
Violence • Civil Rights • Civil rights
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
State • Mississippi • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • New York City • State • New York • City • Boston • County • Suffolk County • State • Massachusetts
Type
Pamphlets
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

M is for Mississippi and Murder

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Mr. Leo Walker weeding his cotton field as the Mule Train departs Marks, Mississippi, bound for Washington, DC

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Description

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NMAAHC

Mule Train leaves for Washington, Poor People's March, Marks, MS

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Description

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NMAAHC

Flyer announcing mass demonstration in New York City sponsored by SNCC and CORE

Date: Date

Caption

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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.