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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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Sports

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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...

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

Bootsy Collins style star-shaped mirrored lens sunglasses

Date
1993-2013
Description
A pair of sunglasses with five-pointed star-shaped mirrored lenses lisensed by Bootsy Collins. The bridge is made of a gold colored metal and has two (2) clear rubber nosepads attached to it. The arms are made of the same gold colored metal and the earpieces are made of black plastic. Near the hinge on each exterior arm is raised text reading "BOOTSY" with the center of each letter O containing a five-pointed star. The interior of the proper left earpiece has white printed text reading "Bootzilla makers of those funky thangs to play with". White text printed on the interior of the proper right earpiece reads "LS2511 drpeepers.com CHINA".
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Exhibition
Musical Crossroads
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Bootsy Collins
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.234.3
Type
sunglasses
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
plastic, metal, and rubber
Dimensions
H x W x D: 3 × 5 15/16 × 5 3/4 in. (7.6 × 15.1 × 14.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Bootsy Collins style star-shaped mirrored lens sunglasses
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.234.3
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BOOTSY COLLINS STYLE STAR-SHAPED MIRRORED LENS SUNGLASSES
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2010s • 1990s
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Musical Crossroads
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
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

Photograph of Salt-N-Pepa making the video for "Shake Your Thang"

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Stock certificate for BET Holdings, Inc.

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Bootsy Collins style star-shaped mirrored lens sunglasses

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Motor Booty Affair

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.