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HIDDEN TRUTHS
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
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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

Photograph of Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford

Date
ca. 1965
Photograph by
Bob Willoughby, American, 1927 - 2009
Signed by
Sammy Davis Jr., American, 1925 - 1990
Frank Sinatra, American, 1915 - 1998
Dean Martin, American, 1917 - 1995
Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford, English, 1923 - 1984
Description
This is a black and white photograph (.1) of the Rat Pack and a piece of Sands Casino stationary with the Rack Pack's signatures (.2). The photograph depicts Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford outside the Sands Casino. In the bottom left corner is Peter Lawford, wearing a light grey sweater under a white jacket. Behind him is Frank Sinatra in a light colored shirt under a dark suit jacket with a dark tie. Next to Frank Sinatra Is Sammy Davis Jr. wearing a light colored button down shirt under a light colored cardigan. He rests his right hand on Peter Lawford’s left arm and holds a pair of dark rimmed spectacles in his left hand. Behind his left shoulder is Dean Martin wearing a light colored shirt under a dark suit jacket. All the men are shown from the waist up and gaze directly at the viewer. In the background over their heads is the sign for the Sands Casino. In large letters text reads “ SANDS / A PLACE / IN THE SUN.” The marquee below it lists the names “Frank Sinatra / Dean Martin / Sammy Davis, Jr./ Peter Lawford / Joey Bishop.” The signed piece of Sands Casino stationary (.2) has the casino letterhead in the top left hand corner. The image consists of a cowgirl figure standing behind a large hourglass. Next to the hourglass is brown text that reads “ The / SANDS / HIGHWAY 91 – LAS VEGAS NEVADA – Dudley 2.7100.” At the bottom left is small brown text that reads “a / place in / the / sun.” Next to the text is a small illustration of the casino. In the center of the page are four signatures, all done on the diagonal, in blue ink. There is a fifth signature by Sammy Davis Jr. along the bottom margin.
Place depicted
Paradise, Clark County, Nevada, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Actors
Entertainers
Popular music
Rock and roll (Music)
Singers (Musicians)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Other
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
2021.102.1.1-.2
Type
gelatin silver prints
autographs
Restrictions & Rights
Photo: © Bob Willoughby Estate
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
.1: silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
.2: ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W (.1 photo): 10 3/8 × 7 5/16 in. (26.3 × 18.5 cm)
H x W (.2 stationary): 10 1/2 × 7 1/4 in. (26.6 × 18.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photograph of Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford
Record ID
nmaahc_2021.102.1.1-.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPH OF SAMMY DAVIS JR., FRANK SINATRA, DEAN MARTIN, AND PETER LAWFORD
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1960s • 1970s
Name
Davis, Sammy • Martin, Dean • Willoughby, Bob • Sinatra, Frank • Lawford, Peter Sydney Ernest
Place
United States • North and Central America • Clark County • Paradise • Nevada
Topic
Rock and roll (Music) • Actors and actresses • Music • Entertainers • Singers (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Paradise • County • Clark County • State • Nevada • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Signatures (names) • Photographs
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
Use Restricted

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

Photograph of Nancy Sinatra and Lisa Glasberg

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Bill of sale for an enslaved woman named Nancy

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Peter Lawford

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Nancy Wilson - Convention Hall, Atlantic City, N.J. - 1980

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.