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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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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

Watercolor costume sketch by Lemuel Ayers for the musical, St. Louis Woman

Date
1945
Created by
Lemuel Ayers, American, 1915 - 1955
Description
A watercolor sketch by Lemuel Ayers of a costume for the musical "St. Louis Woman", as performed in 1946. This costume is for an unidentified character. At the center of the sheet of paper is a light sketch in pencil painted over in watercolor of a woman wearing a patterned blue dress with purple and yellow detailing, a full length skirt, a high, ruffled collar with a brooch at the neck, and a black belt at the waist, sleeves in a leg of mutton style (very full at the shoulder and narrow from elbow to wrist), with an off-center row of buttons running down the proper right side of the bodice and continuing on the proper left side of the skirt. The bodice also has a decoration of flower rosettes running down the left side. The woman is wearing a hat with a black brim decorated with flowers that match the rosettes on the bodice. The woman is wearing black shoes, and her hands are gently outstretched. She has her hair styled in an updo and she is wearing hoop earrings. In the background of the sketch there are a few lines painted in black to indicate the wall and floorboards. At the upper left hand corner is handwritten in graphite: [Sk 200]. There is a piece cut out of the upper right hand corner, and to the left of the cutout area is a splash of purple paint with text handwritten below in graphite: [silk [illegible]]. Midway down the right side of the paper, handwritten in graphite, is the text: [2] and [1 1/2]. On the verso, the upper third of the paper is covered in text handwritten in graphite providing details about the construction of the costume. The sketch is unsigned.
Topic
African American
Art
Costume design
Design
Musical Theatre
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Exhibition
Musical Crossroads
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
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
2011.57.45.5
Type
design drawings
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
watercolor, graphite and ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 15 1/2 x 11 1/4 in. (39.4 x 28.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Watercolor costume sketch by Lemuel Ayers for the musical, St. Louis Woman
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.57.45.5
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
WATERCOLOR COSTUME SKETCH BY LEMUEL AYERS FOR THE MUSICAL, ST. LOUIS WOMAN
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s
Name
Ayers, Lemuel
Topic
Design • Art • Costume • Musical Theatre
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Musical Crossroads
Type
Design drawings
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
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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NMAAHC

Arbeidernes TIF medal owned by Eulace Peacock

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Arbeidernes TIF medal owned by Eulace Peacock

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NMAAHC

Watercolor costume sketch by Lemuel Ayers for the musical, St. Louis Woman

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Watercolor costume sketch by Lemuel Ayers for the musical, St. Louis Woman

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.