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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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

Theater poster for Beauty Shop

Date
1991
Printed by
Globe Poster Printing Company, American, 1929 - 2010
Subject of
Shelly Garrett, American, 1946 - 2018
University of the Arts, American, founded 1876
Merriam Theater, American
Description
A showcard advertising the stage play “Beauty Shop" by Shelly Garrett. The poster is small, narrow and printed on thin cardboard. The text is black, white, and Day-Glo pink and in a variety of sizes and fonts. The top fourth of the poster has two speech bubbles: the one on the left that reads, [AMERICA’S / No.1 SMASH HIT / BLACK COMEDY], in black text and is filled in with hot pink. The speech bubble on the right reads: [ALWAYS / SELLS / OUT!], as white text in a black speech bubble. Below the speech bubbles is the text: [SHELLY / GARRETT’S] written in black ink and below that is the main title of the play, [BEAUTY SHOP], outlined in black ink and overlaid with Day-Glo pink ink. The text has been set against a Day-Glo green background, featuring a brick wall and a window with a view into a barbershop, where three cartoon figures are depicted in black and white. The figure on the left is a barber, wearing a barber’s coat and holding a pair of shears. The center figure is a balding male figure wearing a barber's cape. The figure on the right is a female wearing a crop top and mini skirt, hoop earrings and has her hair arranged into two puff balls on either side of her head. Behind the figures is a counter holding a hairdryer and bottles and jars. The bottom third of the poster lists the theater location, dates, prices of admission, and information on how to purchase tickets. The reverse of the poster is blank.
Place used
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Place printed
Baltimore, Maryland, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Advertising
Beauty salons (Beauty shops)
Comedy
Comedy (Theatre)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kathleen M. Kendrick
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.64.2
Type
advertising cards
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on cardboard
Dimensions
H x W: 22 1/16 × 14 in. (56.1 × 35.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Theater poster for Beauty Shop
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.64.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
THEATER POSTER FOR BEAUTY SHOP
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s
Name
Merriam Theater • Globe Poster Printing Company • Garrett, Shelly • University of the Arts
Place
Baltimore • United States • North and Central America • Maryland • Philadelphia • Pennsylvania
Topic
Comedy • Beauty salons (Beauty shops) • Advertising • Comedy (Theatre)
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Philadelphia • State • Pennsylvania • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • City • Baltimore • State • Maryland
Type
Advertising cards
Online Media Type
Electronic resource • 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.

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NMAAHC

Pinback button for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pinback button for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Program for two plays by Theater in the Street

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Theater poster for Beauty Shop

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 was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker