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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

Dress designed by Ann Lowe

Date
ca. 1960
Description
A sleeveless black cocktail dress with handmade pink floral decorations designed by Ann Lowe. The bodice is made of black chiffon, and has a scoop neck and princess seams.
The neckline is trimmed with a decorative vine of green satin leaves and pink satin rose buds, completed with a full-blown pink satin rose at the center front bust. The skirt consists of an underskirt of black taffeta lined with black net, covered by a tightly-pleated overskirt of black chiffon that gives the skirt fullness and movement. A green satin cummerbund waistband is accented with a pink satin and organza handmade rose in full bloom that is basted to the proper left front hip. The dress closes in the back with a zipper running from the top of the center back bodice to below the waist.
The interior of the bodice is lined with black taffeta fabric. In the front and back of the bodice, boning is sewn at regular intervals to provide structure and shaping. Individual breast cups are shaped into the cut of the garment. A thin piece of elastic, attached in three places at the proper left, center front and proper right, provides support underneath the bust line. A wider elastic band is tacked at the center front and closes in the center back with two hook-and-eyes to provide further bust support. An interior waistband of black grosgrain ribbon is tacked to the interior waistline and closes at the center back. The black taffeta underskirt serves as the petticoat. It attaches to the waist at the center back with a hook-and-eye and a metal snap. There is no label in the dress.
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
2007.3.22
Type
dresses
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silk, chiffon, taffeta, net, metal, and elastic
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form): 42 1/2 × 24 × 16 1/2 in. (108 × 61 × 41.9 cm)
Waist: 24 in. (61 cm)
Title
Object Name • Dress designed by Ann Lowe
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.22
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
DRESS DESIGNED BY ANN LOWE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1960s • 1950s
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
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

Payment receipt for room and board provided by Mary R. Carter

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Desk from the Hope School

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Description

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NMAAHC

Desk from the Hope School

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Dress designed by Ann Lowe

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.