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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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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

Noah's Ark applique quilt made by Yvonne Wells

Date
1988
Description
A color block pieced and appliqued quilt depicting the biblical story of animals boarding Noah's Ark made by Yvonne Wells. The quilt has a blue sky and a rust-red ground machine-stitched together. The ark, animals, and people are hand appliqued to the background. The animals are lined up in pairs waiting to board the ark, which is in the bottom left facing corner. Noah stands near the ark, while a woman with pink rickrack hair looks out the window and two other people stand on the deck. Two additional people are standing at the right facing side near the seam of the sky and ground backgrounds, with one holding an umbrella. The animals are made from a variety of fabrics and colors including faux fur, sheep's skin, printed stripes, and a Halloween fabric turned with the wrong side facing. The animals have plastic button eyes in a range of colors and sizes, while the people have embroidered faces. The central motif is bordered on the sides with a solid purple and on the top and bottom with a purple and red check. Each corner of the border features a different applique design with a series of diagonal scraps at the top left facing corner, a white cross in the top right, a green polka dot tree trunk in the bottom left, and an embroidered signature in the bottom right reading "YW1P88" in green thread. The quilt contains polyester batting and is backed in a light blue fabric with a small repeating design of white crosses. The backing is turned to the front and hand stitched with white thread, then machine stitched with blue thread to form the binding. The quilting is done by hand in white thread in a scallop or fan design.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Textiles and Quilts
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2013.162.5
Type
presentation quilts
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wool, cotton, and synthetic fiber cloth, polyester batting, cotton and synthetic fiber thread, plastic buttons, rickrack trimming, and acrylic yarn
Dimensions
H x W: 72 × 66 in. (182.9 × 167.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Noah's Ark applique quilt made by Yvonne Wells
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.162.5
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
NOAH'S ARK APPLIQUE QUILT MADE BY YVONNE WELLS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1980s
Topic
Geo Location
City • Tuscaloosa • State • Alabama • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Online Media Type
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

Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Trevor Noah

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Noah's Ark applique quilt made by Yvonne Wells

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Flier for a rap battle in the Bronx designed by Buddy Esquire

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 heavyweight champion was known as the “Brown Bomber”?

Joe Louis.