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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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

Diploma from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.

Date
June 16, 1922
Issued by
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, American, founded 1824
Received by
James A. Parsons Jr., American, 1900 - 1989
Signed by
Palmer C. Ricketts, American, 1856 - 1934
Caption
James A. Parsons Jr. was the second African American to receive a degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute since its founding in 1824. Garnet Douglass Baltimore was first, earning his degree in 1881, 41 years before Parsons.
James A. Parsons Jr. was a scientist, inventor, and university professor, whose research with rust resistant metals and iron alloys is credited with leading to the development of stainless steel. He developed Durimet 20, a corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy also known as Alloy 20, which is still widely used today in a diverse range of industries including petrochemical, textile, nuclear, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and chemical and food processing.
Born in 1900, Parsons grew up in Dayton, OH, where his father worked as a butler for Pierce Schenk, the founder of metal manufacturer Duriron Co. Schenk covered Parsons’ tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in exchange for Parsons’ work over summer breaks. Parsons graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1922 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and returned to working at Duriron Co., where he eventually established what was likely the first all-Black industrial research laboratory. Over the course of his career, Parsons received eight patents, won the Harmon Medal in 1928 for his scientific achievements, and had a distinguished teaching career at Tennessee Agriculture and Industrial State College (now Tennessee State University) and Ohio State University.
Description
A diploma from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awarded to James Albert Parsons on June 16, 1922. The diploma is printed in black text on off-white paper and has a large header reading [Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute / Founded / In The Year Eighteen Hundred Twenty Four / in the City of Troy and the State of New York] in multiple fonts and decorative flourishes. The names have been completed by hand in black ink and the diploma states "said James Albert Parsons has been admitted to the degree of Electrical Engineer." There is a red seal near the bottom right corner and the signatures of the institute's president and secretary at the bottom.
Place depicted
Troy, Rensselaer County, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Education
Engineering
Science
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Awards, Medals, and Insignia
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Grant Shipp
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.246.1
Type
diplomas
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper on cardboard
Dimensions
H x W: 17 11/16 × 13 13/16 in. (44.9 × 35.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Diploma from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.246.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
DIPLOMA FROM RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AWARDED TO JAMES A. PARSONS JR.
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s
Name
Parsons, James A. • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute • Ricketts, Palmer C.
Place
New York • United States • North and Central America • Rensselaer County • Troy
Topic
Engineering • Education • Science
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Troy • County • Rensselaer County • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Diplomas
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.

NMAAHC

Harmon Medal in Science awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Diploma from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.

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Caption

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NMAAHC

Photograph of James A. Parsons Jr. at age 3

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Caption

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NMAAHC

Photograph of James A. Parsons Jr. at age 8

Date: Date

Caption

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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.