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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

Harmon Medal in Science awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.

Date
1927
Issued by
William E. Harmon Foundation, American, 1921 - 1967
Received by
James A. Parsons Jr., American, 1900 - 1989
Caption
James A. Parsons Jr. was a scientist, inventor, and university professor, whose research with rust resistant metals and iron alloys is credited with leading to the development of stainless steel. He developed Durimet 20, a corrosion-resistant stainless steel alloy also known as Alloy 20, which is still widely used today in a diverse range of industries including petrochemical, textile, nuclear, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceutical, textile and chemical and food processing.
Born in 1900, Parsons grew up in Dayton, OH, where his father worked as a butler for Pierce Schenk, the founder of metal manufacturer Duriron Co. Schenk covered Parsons’ tuition at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in exchange for Parsons’ work over summer breaks. Parsons graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1922 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and returned to working at Duriron Co., where he eventually established what was likely the first all-Black industrial research laboratory. Over the course of his career, Parsons received eight patents, won the Harmon Medal in 1928 for his scientific achievements, and had a distinguished teaching career at Tennessee Agriculture and Industrial State College (now Tennessee State University) and Ohio State University.
Description
A William E. Harmon Foundation Award for Distinguished Achievement Among Negroes awarded to James A. Parsons Jr. in 1927. The award medallion is on a gold chain with an Elgin pocket watch and gold penknife at one end. The penknife has a single engraving [TRIM]. The back of the watch is engraved with botanical motifs. The medallion has, on one side, a ship in the water at the center surrounded by [HARMON FOUNDATION / AWARDS], and, on the other side, [SCIENCE / FIRST AWARD / 1927 / JAMES A. PARSONS, JR.] surrounded by [INSPIRARTION / ACHIEVEMENT]. The penknife and watch are both attached to the chain with a large clasp and the medallion is attached with a jewelry hook.
Place made
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Associations and institutions
Engineering
Science
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Awards, Medals, and Insignia
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Grant Shipp
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.246.8
Type
medals
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
metal
Dimensions
L x W: 17 1/2 × 2 in. (44.5 × 5.1 cm)
H x W (watch only): 2 1/2 × 2 in. (6.4 × 5.1 cm)
L (chain only): 13 1/4 in. (33.7 cm)
H x W (medallion only): 1 × 1 in. (2.5 × 2.5 cm)
L x W (pen knife only, closed): 2 7/16 × 1/2 in. (6.2 × 1.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Harmon Medal in Science awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.246.8
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
HARMON MEDAL IN SCIENCE AWARDED TO JAMES A. PARSONS JR.
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s
Name
William E. Harmon Foundation • Parsons, James A.
Place
United States • North and Central America
Topic
Engineering • Science • Associations and institutions
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Medals
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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NMAAHC

Blacks Books Bulletin, Science and Struggle

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Prophet Noble Drew Ali, Founder of Moorish Science Temple of America

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Harmon Medal in Science awarded to James A. Parsons Jr.

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences medal received by Cab Calloway

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.