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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

BLK Vol. 1 No. 1

Date
December 1988
Published by
Alan Bell, American
Edited by
Alan Bell, American
Photograph by
Rockshots, Inc., American, founded 1978
Illustrated by
Ebony, American, founded 1945
Subject of
Sylvester, American, 1947 - 1988
Whoopi Goldberg, American, born 1955
Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, American, 1988 - 2003
AIDS Healthcare Foundation, founded 1987
Minority AIDS Project, American, founded 1985
Description
The first issue of BLK magazine, published December 1988. It is printed in black and white and the front cover features an unidentified shirtless man wearing a Santa Claus hat and faux beard. A black text box, with the letters [BLK] in large uppercase bold letters, covers his pelvic region. To his right, pearls and ornaments hang from the branches of a Christmas tree.
Inside the issue, there is a [December Calendar of Events], which details one-time events for that month. There is also a section devoted to [Community News], in which three headlines appear: [Brownlie Hospice Opens December 5], about the opening of the first facility of the AIDS Hospice Foundation, [90 Attend ‘Fences’ to Raise Conference $], about a fundraiser by the Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum, and [Women’s Committee Needs Volunteers] about the Women's Research Committee of the Minority AIDS Project. The “Community News” section is followed by a full-spread photograph of singer Sylvester, which is then followed by a full-page image of Whoopi Goldberg and an accompanying article about awards the two received at the National Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Conference. The magazine also has several advertisements scattered throughout its pages, including ads for a car dealership, pizzeria, chat and party lines and personal classified ads. There are 15 pages in total, all of which are printed in black and white.
The back cover features a full advertisement for [Midtowne Spa].
Place made
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Activism
Black Press
Communities
Health
Holidays and festivals
Identity
LGBTQ
Mass media
Sexuality
U.S. History, 1969-2001
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Books and Published Materials
Movement
HIV/AIDS Activist Movement
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Alan Bell
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2018.108.1
Type
magazines (periodicals)
Restrictions & Rights
© BLK Publishing Company, Inc
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 1/4 × 1/8 in. (27.4 × 20.9 × 0.3 cm)
Title
Title • BLK Vol. 1 No. 1
Record ID
nmaahc_2018.108.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLK VOL. 1 NO. 1
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1980s
Name
Minority AIDS Project • Sylvester • Rockshots, Inc. • Black Gay and Lesbian Leadership Forum • Ebony • Goldberg, Whoopi • Bell, Alan • AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Place
United States • Los Angeles County • North and Central America • Los Angeles • California
Topic
Activism • Black Press • LGBTQ • Communities • Health • Sexuality • HIV/AIDS Activist Movement • Mass media • U.S. History, 1969-2001 • Holidays and festivals • Group identity
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Los Angeles • County • Los Angeles County • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Magazines (periodicals)
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.

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NMAAHC

Stock certificate for BET Holdings, Inc.

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NMAAHC

History of the Southern Province, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

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Description

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NMAAHC

BLK Vol. 1 No. 1

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

T-Shirt featuring the comic book hero, Brotherman

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 became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.