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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
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

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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...

Katherine Johnson — Mathematics to the Moon

Katherine Johnson’s mathematical calculations helped guide some of America’s most important early space missions while she confronted the racial and gender barriers faced by Black women in twentieth-century America.

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

Black leather pants worn by Melvin Van Peebles

Date
2000s
Manufactured by
Unidentified
Worn by
Melvin Van Peebles, American, 1932 - 2021
Description
A pair of black leather pants worn by Melvin Van Peebles. The pants feature a 1.5” wide waist band of black leather with five .5” self-fabric belt loops sewn around it. There are two deep front pockets, one on each side, and an inner fifth pocket inside the proper right pocket. The pants close at the center front waist with a 7” metal zipper with plastic teeth and a .5” diameter metal shank above it. Each tapered leg is made from four panels of fabric – an upper and a lower panel for each leg. The lower panel starts below the knee and all four panels are sewn together at the inside and outside seams. There is a single fold 2.25” hem at the bottom that has been adhered instead of sewn to itself. At the back of the pants, under the waistband, is a 3" wide yoke made from one panel of black leather. One either side, are two 6” wide pockets. There are two 4” nylon hanging loops sewn to the interior waistband. There is no brand label but the interior of the pants are lined with black nylon fabric. Sewn to the front, proper left waistband are three black fabric labels with gold embroidered text and one white fabric label. The black label on the far-left reads [MADE / IN / INDIA]. The middle black label reads, [34], and the far right black label reads [SHELL: / 100% LEATHER / LINING: 100% NYLON / RN#2340] on the top and [SPECIALIST / LEATHER / CLEANING ONLY / SHOULD BE USED] on the bottom. The white fabric label on the far right has black printed text on the front that reads [OIA /5953 / 400/690] and [WSI / 3567 /P.O. No / Seq No] on the back.
Place made
United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Actors
Black Enterprise
Clothing and dress
Fashion
Film
Musicians
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Melvin Van Peebles Archive Collection
Classification
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
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
2024.60.4
Type
trousers
pants
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
leather, nylon, plastic, metal, and adhesive
Dimensions
Length (waist to hem): 42 3/8 in. (107.6 cm)
Waist (flat): 21 15/16 in. (55.7 cm)
Inseam: 31 1/2 in. (80 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black leather pants worn by Melvin Van Peebles
Record ID
nmaahc_2024.60.4
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK LEATHER PANTS WORN BY MELVIN VAN PEEBLES
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2000s
Name
Van Peebles, Melvin
Place
United States • North and Central America
Topic
Black Enterprise • Actors and actresses • Clothing and dress • Fashion • Motion pictures
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Trousers
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

Bench with seat cushion from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, U.S. Army Col. Jeffrey L. Bannister, commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and Iraqi Brig. Gen. Abdulah discuss troop progress during a meeting in east Baghdad, Iraq, on Sept. 11, 2007

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Black leather pants worn by Melvin Van Peebles

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Black tuxedo jacket by FUBU

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 Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.