q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
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
What's New!
THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

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

✊🏾

Civil Rights

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

⚙️

Black Inventors

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

🏆

Sports

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

♟️

People

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

📍

Places

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

📜

Events

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

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
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.

MORE →
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.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
NMAAHC

Photograph of Sgt. Henry James Lomax

Date
ca. 1945
Photograph by
Unidentified
Subject of
Henry James Lomax, American, 1917 - 1978
United States Army Air Force, American, 1941 - 1947
Owned by
Louise Virginia Lomax, American, 1920 - 2011
Caption
Henry Lomax enlisted as a Private in the Army in November 1941 in Richmond, VA, and was stationed at the Engineer Replacement Training Center (ERTC) at Ft. Belvoir, Virginia, with Company D, 10th Battalion, 2nd Engineer Training Group. The 10th Battalion was one of three African American engineer training battalions at Ft. Belvoir.
According to his official service records, Lomax was stationed in the South Pacific Area (SPA), part of the Asiatic-Pacific Theater, from 20 January 1942 to 20 March 1945. As part of an aviation engineer battalion, Lomax was assigned to airfield construction, and for a time served with the 13th Air Force. The 13th Air Force served in the South Pacific and Southwest Pacific and participated in the liberation of the Philippine Islands. Lomax was promoted to Sergeant on 14 February 1945.
On 9 June 1945, Sgt. Lomax was examined by an Army doctor, who officially recommended that he be stationed in the continental U.S. for six months due to “Severe Combat Experience.” This phrase is now commonly associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which was diagnosed as “exhaustion” during World War II. He was honorably discharged from the Army Air Corps almost four months later on 15 October 1945.
Lomax was awarded four medals for his World War II service: the Philippine Liberation Medal with one bronze battle star, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the American Defense Medal, and the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with three bronze battle stars. It’s possible that these are four of the five ribbons visible on his chest in the photograph. Also visible in the photograph is the insignia of the Second Air Force, located just above his Sergeant chevrons.
Description
A warm-toned black-and-white photograph of Sgt. Henry James Lomax with hand-coloring. The portrait shows Sgt. Lomax in uniform from the waist up. He is looking forward. The color tinting highlights the medals and insignia on his uniform and is also applied to his lips. There are no marks or inscriptions, front or back.
Topic
African American
Military
Photography
U.S. History, 1945-1953
World War II
See more items in
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 Pia Marie Winters Jordan in memory of her mother, First Lieutenant Louise Virginia Lomax Winters, Army Nurse Corps; and her uncle, Sgt. Henry James Lomax, U.S. Army
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2022.42.5
Type
photographs
portraits
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper with tinting
Dimensions
H x W x D (image): 6 3/8 × 4 7/8 in. (16.2 × 12.4 cm)
H x W (sheet): 6 13/16 × 4 7/8 in. (17.3 × 12.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photograph of Sgt. Henry James Lomax
Record ID
nmaahc_2022.42.5
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPH OF SGT. HENRY JAMES LOMAX
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1939-1945 • 1950s
Name
Lomax, Louise Virginia • United States Army Air Force • Lomax, Henry James
Topic
Photography • WW II • U.S. History, 1945-1953 • Military • World War, 1939-1945
Culture
African Americans
Type
Portraits • Photographs
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.

No preview image
NMAAHC

Typewriter used by Sarah E. Wright

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

BLK Vol. 1 No. 2

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

BLK Vol. 1 No. 1

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Photograph of Sgt. Henry James Lomax

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
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.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.