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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

Costume dress and belt for Dorothy in The Wiz on Broadway

Date
1975
Designed by
Geoffrey Holder, Trinidadian American, 1930 - 2014
Worn by
Stephanie Mills, American, born 1957
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Description
This dress and belt were worn by Stephanie Mills as Dorothy in "The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical 'Wonderful Wizard of Oz'" on Broadway. The short-sleeved off-white cotton dress (a) falls just above the knee and has a circle skirt with a flounce. The v-neck bodice has bust darts and ends at the natural waistline. The neck opening is outlined with decorative, machine-made, off-white lace that has a central ladder design bordered by flowers. Two (2) rows of this lace continue down the center-front of the bodice to the waist. Red grosgrain ribbon is woven into the middle of the lace. The full, pouf sleeves are elbow-length and have thin elastic strips sewn inside the hem, creating gathered cuffs. Each cuff is bordered with machine-made, off-white lace that has a design of large circles bordered by smaller circles, through which red grosgrain ribbon has been woven. Lace flounces with a floral design are sewn into the hem of each cuff and hang 2 3/4 inches below the sleeve.
The skirt is heavily gathered at the waist, creating a very full skirt. A 5 1/2-inch flounce with box pleats is sewn around the hem. Above this flounce is a strip of the same lace as on the bodice, also with red grosgrain ribbon woven through the center of the lace. Above the decorative lace and ribbon are two pin tucks. The dress closes at the center back with five (5) off-white plastic buttons. The bottom button is different than the others, and may be a replacement. A single hook-and-eye closure is placed at the interior center back waistline. The back of the skirt is open with no apparent closure method.
The belt (b) is made of a shiny red plastic, and has a square metal buckle faced in the red plastic.
Place used
New York City, Manhattan, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Actors
Clothing and dress
Costume
Costume design
Design
Musical Theatre
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2007.3.6ab
Type
dresses
belts (costume accessories)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
cotton, lace, ribbon, plastic, elastic, and metal
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form (ab)): 32 1/2 × 20 × 18 3/4 in. (82.6 × 50.8 × 47.6 cm)
H x W x D (Flat (b)): 1 5/8 × 10 1/2 × 9 1/2 in. (4.1 × 26.7 × 24.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Costume dress and belt for Dorothy in The Wiz on Broadway
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.6ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
COSTUME DRESS AND BELT FOR DOROTHY IN THE WIZ ON BROADWAY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1970s
Name
Holder, Geoffrey • Black Fashion Museum • Mills, Stephanie
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America • Manhattan
Topic
Design • Actors and actresses • Costume • Clothing and dress • Musical Theatre
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • New York City • County • Manhattan • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Belts (costume accessories) • Dresses (garments)
Online Media Type
Images
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

Kharmony, LA Pride, Los Angeles, CA, 2020

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Description

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NMAAHC

Playbill for Purlie

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NMAAHC

Costume dress and belt for Dorothy in The Wiz on Broadway

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Playbill for "The Wiz"

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.