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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

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Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

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Places

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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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

At "Smith's Palace," Narragansett Bay

Date
ca. 1881
Description
An impressionist oil painting titled, At "Smith's Palace," Narragansett Bay, by Edward M. Bannister. The painting depicts a pastoral landscape that features a copse of tall, dark, leafy trees just left of center. Directly in front of the trees is a small pond. In the background, on the right, is a white house with a red chimney, a small, detached building with a red roof, both sitting on a yellow field. Behind the buildings is a dense patch of trees. The scene is set against a cloudy sky with contrasting bright and dark clouds. In the foreground is dark green brush. The painting is signed in the bottom right; painted in dark green oil paint that reads [E. M. Bannister]. The painting is housed in a heavy gilt frame with ornamentation in a floral motif.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Visual Arts
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
2023.117.1
Type
oil paintings
landscapes (representations)
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
oil paint and varnish on linen (material) canvas with wood , metal and Fome-Cor (TM)
Dimensions
H x W x D (Framed): 35 1/4 × 43 1/2 × 3 9/16 in. (89.6 × 110.5 × 9 cm)
H x W: 22 × 30 in. (55.9 × 76.2 cm)
Title
Title • At "Smith's Palace," Narragansett Bay
Record ID
nmaahc_2023.117.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
AT "SMITH'S PALACE," NARRAGANSETT BAY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1880s
Geo Location
County • Washington County • State • Rhode Island • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
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

Forest green sportcoat with handmade buttons designed by Art Smith

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

At "Smith's Palace," Narragansett Bay

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Description

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NMAAHC

Pinback button for Olympic Project for Human Rights owned by Tommie Smith

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NMAAHC

Receipt for donation to the Soldiers' Orphans' Home by David Spears

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.