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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
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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

Photograph of a cocktail party held by Irving Mills

Date
1936
Photograph by
Al Brackman, American, 1912 - 1992
Subject of
Lew White, American, 1902 - 1955
Adrian Rollini, American, 1903 - 1956
Duke Ellington, American, 1899 - 1974
Will Hudson, American, 1908 - 1981
Richard W. Altschuler
Irving Mills, American, 1894 - 1985
Tommy Dorsey, American, 1905 - 1956
Unidentified Man or Men
Master Records, Inc.
American Record Corporation, American, 1929 - 1934
Description
A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of the cocktail party that launched Master Records, Inc., held by Irving Mills. The image depicts eleven (11) men, including Irving Mills, Lew White, Adrian Rollini, Duke Ellington, Will Hudson, Dick Altschuler, and Tommy Dorsey. Mills is at the center of the group. He is wearing a dark pinstriped suit, a white shirt, and medium toned tie that is slightly askew. On the far left is White. He is partially obscured by the left edge of the photograph. Next to him, standing in profile, is Rollini. Next to Rollini is Ellington. Ellington is wearing a dark pinstriped suit, a light toned, striped collared shirt, and medium toned, patterned tie. He is facing the right edge of the photograph. To the right of Ellington is Hudson and a partially obscured man standing behind Mills. Hudson is facing the viewer and is wearing wire rimmed glasses. Dorsey is depicted in profile with his arm around Mill’s shoulders, facing the left edge of the image. Four additional men in suits and ties, including Altschuler, stand in front, looking towards the viewer. There is an inscription on the back of the photograph, written in pencil that reads, [I. Mills' Cocktail Party / L to R: Lew White, Organist, / Adrian Rollini [insert arrow] Duke, Will Hudson, / FRONT: Dick Altschuler, president / Am. Record Corp., I. Mills, gen. / Mgr., & Tommy Dorsey / PHOTO: AL BRACKMAN]. There are no inscriptions on the front of the photograph.
Topic
African American
Business
Composers (Musicians)
Dance
Entertainers
Instrumentalists (Musicians)
Jazz (Music)
Nightlife
Photography
Singers (Musicians)
Social life and customs
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection
Classification
Photographs and Still Images
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
2013.46.25.256
Type
gelatin silver prints
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
Dimensions
H x W (Image): 3 × 4 1/2 in. (7.6 × 11.4 cm)
H x W (Sheet): 3 5/16 × 4 3/4 in. (8.4 × 12.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photograph of a cocktail party held by Irving Mills
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.46.25.256
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPH OF A COCKTAIL PARTY HELD BY IRVING MILLS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1930s
Name
Ellington, Duke • Dorsey, Tommy • Lew White • Mills, Irving • Rollini, Adrian • Hudson, Will • American Record Corporation • Brackman, Al • Altschuler, Richard W. • Master Records, Inc.
Topic
Nightlife • Photography • Composers (Musicians) • Dance • Entertainers • Instrumentalists (Musicians) • Jazz (Music) • Society • Singers (Musicians) • Business
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.

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Photographic print of Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark Studio

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NMAAHC

Photograph of a cocktail party held by Irving Mills

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Dread Broadcasting Corporation Reggae DJ at Notting Hill Carnival

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 was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker