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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

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Civil Rights

Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

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Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

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Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

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People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

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Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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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...

Wilmington 1898 — An American Coup

Wilmington, North Carolina once had a thriving Black middle class and an elected interracial government. In 1898 white supremacists used violence to overthrow that government, kill Black residents and drive many others from the city.

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

Moraceae

Moraceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 48 genera and over 1100 species, and is commonly known as the mulberry or fig family. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however, their distribution is cosmopolitan overall. The only common characteristics within the family are the presence of latex-producing glands in the leaves and stems, and milky sap in the soft tissues; but generally useful field characters include two carpels sometimes with one reduced, compound inconspicuous flowers, and compound fruit. The family includes well-known plants such as the common fig, breadfruit, jackfruit and mulberry. The flowers of Moraceae are often pseudanthia (reduced inflorescences).

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Wikipedia

Morus (plant)

Morus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consisting of 17 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many warm-temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa; although the three of most common are referred to as white, red, and black, originating from the colour of their dormant buds, and not necessarily the fruit colour (Morus alba, M. rubra, and M. nigra, respectively), with numerous cultivars and some taxa currently unchecked and awaiting taxonomic scrutiny. Morus alba is native to China, but is widely cultivated and often naturalised across Europe, Southern Africa, South America, and North America; it is also the species most preferred by the silkworm. It is regarded as an invasive species in Brazil, the United States and some states of Australia. Species in the closely related genus Broussonetia are also commonly known as mulberries, notably the paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera). Despite their similar appearance, mulberries are not closely related to raspberries or blackberries. All three species belong to the order Rosales, but while the mulberry is a tree belonging to the family Moraceae (also including the fig, jackfruit, and other fruits), raspberries and blackberries are brambles and belong to the family Rosaceae.

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Wikipedia

Morus nigra

Morus nigra, or the black mulberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Moraceae that is native to southwestern Asia, where it has been cultivated for so long that its precise natural range is unknown. The black mulberry is known for its large number of chromosomes.

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Wikipedia

Breadfruit

Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) is a species of flowering tree in the mulberry and jackfruit family Moraceae. Its name is derived from the texture of the moderately ripe fruit when cooked, similar to freshly baked bread and having a potato-like flavor. Breadfruit was spread into Oceania via the Austronesian expansion and is believed to have been selectively bred in Polynesia from the breadnut (Artocarpus camansi). British and French navigators introduced a few Polynesian seedless varieties to Caribbean islands during the late 18th century. Today it is widely grown in tropical regions throughout South and Southeast Asia, the Pacific and Caribbean islands, lowland Central America, northern South America and Africa. In addition to the fruit serving as a staple food in many cultures, the light, sturdy timber of breadfruit has been used for making furniture, houses, and surfboards. Breadfruit is closely related to A. camansi (breadnut or seeded breadfruit) of New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines, A. blancoi (tipolo or antipolo) of the Philippines, and more distantly, A. mariannensis (dugdug) of Micronesia, species that are also sometimes called "breadfruit". It is also closely related to the jackfruit.

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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.