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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

Talawa at The Cochrane: the Love Space Demands

Date
1992
Distributed by
Talawa Theatre Company, British, founded 1986
Subject of
Ntozake Shange, American, 1948 - 2018
Cochrane Theatre, English, 1963 - 2012
Jean "Binta" Breeze MBE, Jamaican, 1956 - 2021
Yvonne Brewster OBE, Jamaican, born 1938
Description
A playbill (a) for The Love Space Demands presented by Talawa Theatre Company at the Cochrane Theatre in London, England, with insert (b).
The playbill features a center black-and-white portrait of Jean “Binta” Breeze, whose face appears within a black silhouette figure against a white background, her hands raised along either side of her head. Text reads [Jean “Binta” / Breeze / in / Ntozake / Shange’s / the Love / Space / Demands]. There are bands of dark purple at the top and bottom. White text at the top reads [TALAWA / at THE COCHRANE] and text at the bottom reads [Thursday 1st October - / Saturday 31st October 1992 / Arts Council Funded]. The interior contents include a history of Talawa, an essay on the poetry in The Love Space Demands, a biography of Ntozake Shange, a listing of cast, production crew, and musicians, and a glossary of cultural references. The back cover features several advertisements, the largest of which is for the Theatre Royal Stratford East.
The playbill includes an insert (b) of black text printed on one side of an off-white sheet of paper. The insert advertises the [CLR JAMES FESTIVAL / 1-31 OCTOBER 1992] and the listing of productions includes [THE LOVE SPACE DEMANDS by Ntozake Shange / 1-31 October 7.30 pm / The Cochrane Theatre Southampton Row London] followed by a telephone number and ticket prices. There are several other events listed. The back of the insert is blank.
Also included is a ticket (c). The ticket is blue and white with [THE / COCHRANE / THE LOVE SPACE DEMANDS] with a date, time, price, and seat number and [Presented By Talawa Theater Company].
Place used
London, England, Europe
Title
Playbill for The Love Space Demands by Talawa Theatre Company
Topic
African American
Poetry
Sexuality
Theatre
Theatre companies
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, Gift of Ntozake Shange
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2016.131.2.3abc
Type
playbills
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W x D (a. Playbill): 8 1/4 × 5 7/8 × 1/16 in. (21 × 14.9 × 0.2 cm)
H x W (b. Insert): 8 1/4 × 5 7/8 in. (21 × 14.9 cm)
H x W (c. Ticket): 3 × 5 in. (7.6 × 12.7 cm)
Title
Title • Talawa at The Cochrane: the Love Space Demands
Record ID
nmaahc_2016.131.2.3abc
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
TALAWA AT THE COCHRANE: THE LOVE SPACE DEMANDS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s
Name
Brewster, Yvonne • Breeze, Jean "Binta" • Talawa Theatre Company • Cochrane Theatre • Shange, Ntozake
Place
Europe • London • England
Topic
Theatre companies • Sexuality • Theatre • Poetry
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • London • Country • England • Continent • Europe
Type
Playbills
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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Playbill for The Love Space Demands at the Crossroads Theatre Company

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NMAAHC

Talawa at The Cochrane: the Love Space Demands

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.