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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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

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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...

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

The US Military, Cadet, Kesha Brown

Date
2008; printed 2019
Description
A black-and-white photograph of U.S. Military Cadet Kesha Brown, by Platon. Brown is depicted from the thighs up, standing, and facing the viewer with a serious expression on her face. Her proper right arm is resting at her side and her proper left arm is holding her marching band hat against her other side. She is wearing a fitted, medium tone, military parade jacket with seven horizontal lines of braid across the chest that terminate in a clover-shaped design and are accented. The braid and cuffs are accented with dome-shaped, metal buttons. On her proper right bicep is a patch with three chevrons. Pinned to her proper left shoulder is a medal with an eagle device. Tucked into the crook of her proper left arm is a shako-style, marching band hat with a large black feathered plume, a black patent leather visor, chain visor trim, and a West Point crest shield emblem. She is also wearing white pants, white gloves, and has a sword and scabbard attached to her proper left hip. The background of the photograph is bright white. The photograph has a thick white border. The edition number, [5/12], is printed in the bottom left corner. The photographer’s signature and date, [Platon 19], is handwritten in the bottom right corner. Inside the border, at the bottom center, is the photographer’s embossed mark: [PLATON ? / EDITIONED ? / PRINT ?[encircled between two bands of embossed dots]]. The back of the photograph is plain and white.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Platon
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2021.33.67
Type
pigment prints
portraits
Restrictions & Rights
© Platon
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
pigment on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 21 5/16 × 20 in. (54.1 × 50.8 cm)
H x W (sheet): 24 × 20 in. (61 × 50.8 cm)
H x W (matted): 22 × 28 in. (55.9 × 71.1 cm)
Title
Title • The US Military, Cadet, Kesha Brown
Record ID
nmaahc_2021.33.67
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
THE US MILITARY, CADET, KESHA BROWN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2000s
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America • Locale • West Point • County • Orange County
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
Limited Use

Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Rights and restrictions shown above are supplied by the Smithsonian record.

NMAAHC

Flyer advertising the Black Expo at City Center Theater

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Description

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NMAAHC

Cabinet card of Col. Charles Young as a cadet at West Point

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Sword and scabbard owned by Cadet Emily J.T. Perez

Date: Date

Caption

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No preview image
NMAAHC

The US Military, Cadet, Kesha Brown

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