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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...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

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

Pink wool hat with blue velvet hat band

Date
1970s - 1990s
Description
A pink wool felt hat with a dark blue velvet hat band and two small bows at the back. The hat features a high crown and asymmetrical brim made from fuchsia wool that has been blocked to shape. The top of the crown features pinhole punctures forming a straight line from the center back to the center front. The asymmetrical brim extends 2.875” from the center front and 1.75” from the center back seam. A hatband made from a 2.25” band of navy-blue velvet is hand tacked to the sides of the crown. The velvet hat band is backed with paper along its folded edges and buckram to add structure. Two bows made from the same navy blue velvet fabric are hand sewn over the center back seam where the ends of the hatband are sewn together. Light pink synthetic (possibly acetate) lining has been sewn along the interior crown. It is gathered and topstitched and has pink wool yarn inserted through a channel along the top, creating a drawstring. The interior lining covers the original inner band, made from linen-backed synthetic plain weave fabric that has been gathered and stitched to the hat. The interior crown is stamped with a brand label that reads [BODY BY / MERRIMAC HAT CORP. / MADE IN USA / 100% WOOL] in dark grey text. A tan fabric label sewn to the inner proper right side of the hatband reads [QUINLEY / COSMOPOLITAN CLASSIC] in brown text. An additional tan fabric label sewn to the inner center front reads [MADE EXCLUSIVELY / FOR S. KANN SONS / WASHINGTON] in brown text.
Cataloging Notes
This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
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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
2007.3.524
Type
hats
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wool felt, wool yarn, silk velvet, buckram, synthetic (possibly acetate) faille, and linen
Dimensions
H x W x D: 5 × 11 × 11 1/4 × 19 1/2 in. (12.7 × 27.9 × 28.6 × 49.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pink wool hat with blue velvet hat band
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.524
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PINK WOOL HAT WITH BLUE VELVET HAT BAND
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1970s
Type
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.

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Member pin for the Afro-American Sons and Daughters

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Photograph of the King family at Martin Luther King Jr.'s reinternment

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Pink wool hat with blue velvet hat band

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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.