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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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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

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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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

Civil Rights Speech of Hon. Alonzo J. Ransier, of South Carolina, in The House of Representatives, February 7, 1874

Date
1874
Subject of
Alonzo Jacob Ransier, American, 1834 - 1882
Printed by
United States Government Publishing Office, American, founded 1860
Caption
Rep. Alonzo J. Ransier (1834–1882) was one of six African Americans elected to the U.S. Congress from South
Carolina during Reconstruction. He also served as the state’s first black lieutenant governor. In February 1874 he
delivered this speech in the U.S. House of Representatives in support of the Civil Rights Act, which was first
introduced by Sen. Charles Sumner in 1870 and was ultimately passed by Congress as the Civil Rights Act of
1875.
Description
A fourteen-page pamphlet of a speech by Representative Hon. Alonzo J. Ransier, of South Carolina. It is a narrow rectangular bound pamphlet of off-white paper with black printed text. The cover text reads [Civil Rights. / SPEECH / of/ HON. ALONZO J. RANSIER, / of / South Carolina, / in / The House of Representatives, / February 7, 1874 / WASHINGTON: / Government Printing Office. / 1874]. In the upper right quadrant is a small rectangle in blue ink with the number "3" handwritten in it. Inside the front cover is handwriting in the upper left corner of the page that reads [1. Negro – Legal Status – U.S. / AH]. The text of the speech starts on the page immediately opposite. The back cover is blank except for a small stamp in black ink near the bottom margin that reads [MAR 1947].
Transcription Center Status
Transcribed by digital volunteers
Place printed
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Civil Rights
Government
Politics
Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Books and Published Materials
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
2021.58.1
Type
pamphlets
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W x D: 7 5/16 × 4 3/4 × 1/16 in. (18.6 × 12.1 × 0.2 cm)
Title
Title • Civil Rights Speech of Hon. Alonzo J. Ransier, of South Carolina, in The House of Representatives, February 7, 1874
Record ID
nmaahc_2021.58.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
CIVIL RIGHTS SPEECH OF HON. ALONZO J. RANSIER, OF SOUTH CAROLINA, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FEBRUARY 7, 1874
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1870s
Name
Ransier, Alonzo Jacob • United States Government Publishing Office
Place
District of Columbia • United States • North and Central America • Washington
Topic
Government • Civil rights • Politics • Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Pamphlets
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.

NMAAHC

Pinback button for the Black National Political Convention

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Memorial card for Susan Bell

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Civil Rights Speech of Hon. Alonzo J. Ransier, of South Carolina, in The House of Representatives, February 7, 1874

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Flyer advertising an evening of jazz at NYU Loeb Student Center

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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.