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HIDDEN TRUTHS
GREENWOOD / BLACK WALL STREET WILMINGTON 1898 LITTLE ROCK NINE TUSKEGEE STUDY ROSEWOOD 1923 THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SENECA VILLAGE BLACK TOWNS GREENWOOD / BLACK WALL STREET WILMINGTON 1898 LITTLE ROCK NINE TUSKEGEE STUDY ROSEWOOD 1923 THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN SENECA VILLAGE BLACK TOWNS
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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.
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NMAAHC

Cream silk dress with pintucks

Date
1950s
Designed by
Ysabel Matthews, American
Subject of
Black Fashion Museum, American, 1979 - 2007
Description
A cream silk dress with pintucks. The dress is made of silk shantung, it has a boat neckline with a one-and-a-half-inch wide band sewn along the edge of the neckline. The band ends in a decorative curve on each side of the center front opening. Pintucks are machine sewn throughout the dress. The short sleeves have a gusset and are made of the same panel as the dress bodice. Twelve self-fabric covered buttons are sewn to the proper left side of the center front opening. These buttons align with twelve self-fabric buttonhole loops on the other side of the center front opening. A metal snap is sewn above the top button and loop. A waist seam is sewn along the natural waist below the last button on the bodice panel of the dress. A metal hook with a thread eye and a metal snap are sewn at the waistline. A bust dart is sewn on each side of the center front opening and ends at the waist seam. The center front opening continues below the waist seam. Six self-fabric covered buttons are sewn to the proper left side of the center front opening below the waist seam. These buttons align with seven self-fabric buttonhole loops on the other side of the center front opening. One of the buttons is missing. A self-fabric applique with a decorative curve on each side is hand sewn above each self-lined slanted pocket sewn below the waist seam. The bottom half of the dress is made of eight panels, the seams of the panels are integrated with the pin tucks. Two darts are sewn on the back of the dress which end at the waist seam. The dress has a double fold hem. The dress is self-faced along the center front opening, neckline and sleeves. A waist stay made of cream synthetic petersham ribbon is hand sewn along the waist seam at the interior. The ends of the waist stay are left unstitched to the dress, a metal eye is sewn to the end of the proper left side. The dress is machine sewn; the interior seams have pinked edges. A woven fabric label is handsewn to the center back interior along the self-facing. The label reads [Ysabel / NEW YORK / PHILADELPHIA].
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Fashion
Fashion design
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
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
2007.3.204
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silk shantung, synthetic petersham ribbon, synthetic ribbon, and metal
Dimensions
Length (shoulder to hem): 43 1/2 in. (110.5 cm)
Width (shoulder to shoulder): 14 1/2 in. (36.8 cm)
Waist (flat): 13 1/2 in. (34.8 cm)
Title
Object Name • Cream silk dress with pintucks
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.204
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
CREAM SILK DRESS WITH PINTUCKS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s
Name
Matthews, Ysabel • Black Fashion Museum
Topic
Design • Clothing and dress • Fashion
Culture
African Americans
Type
Dresses (garments)
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.

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Letter to Reverend David Selden from his son David Selden

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NMAAHC

Cream silk dress with pintucks

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Bust of Free Frank McWorter

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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.