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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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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

Photograph of a performer, Toada, and three men dressed in theatrical costumes

Date
early 20th-mid 20th century
Photograph by
James Kollar
Subject of
Unidentified Woman or Women
Unidentified Man or Men
Description
A silver gelatin print depicting a black-and-white image of three (3) men and a woman dressed in theatrical costumes. The woman stands left of center, with her torso turned towards one (1) of the men. She is wearing an embellished, corset dress overlaid with a skirt that is short in front and drapes in the back, detached sleeves, a small hat with large feathers, and a small parasol held above her with her proper right hand. She is depicted looking towards the viewer. On the far left, is a man wearing an open shirt, laced, with large dark and light bands on the sleeves, white pants, sandals, and a brimmed straw hat decorated with diagonal stripes on the edge of the brim. He is kneeling with a conga drum held on his upper thighs. His hands are poised above the drumhead, which faces to the left edge of the image. The drum is decorated with geometric bands. On the right side of the woman are two (2) additional men standing, both looking towards the woman. Both wear outfits similar to the man kneeling. The man on the left is holding maracas in both hands and is facing the woman. The man on the far right stands with his back to the other performers and his torso turned to the right. White text printed in the negative, in the bottom right corner reads, [JAMES KOLLÁR / RADIO CITY, N.Y.]. There are no inscriptions on the back of the image.
Statement
Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
Place made
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Entertainers
Music
Photography
Stereotypes
Theatre
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
The Laura Cathrell Show-Down Magazine Collection
Classification
Racist and Stereotypical Objects
Photographs and Still Images
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
2013.46.25.58
Type
gelatin silver prints
portraits
Restrictions & Rights
Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
silver and photographic gelatin on photographic paper
Dimensions
H x W (Image): 7 3/16 × 8 1/4 in. (18.3 × 21 cm)
H x W (Sheet): 8 1/8 × 10 in. (20.6 × 25.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Photograph of a performer, Toada, and three men dressed in theatrical costumes
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.46.25.58
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
PHOTOGRAPH OF A PERFORMER, TOADA, AND THREE MEN DRESSED IN THEATRICAL COSTUMES
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s • 1950s
Name
Kollar, James
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America
Topic
Photography • Music • Theatre • Entertainers • Stereotypes
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • New York City • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Portraits • Photographs
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.

NMAAHC

Flyer advertising November events at the Studio Museum in Harlem

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Men's frock coat, waistcoat, and shirt for theatrical production

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Photograph of a performer, Toada, and three men dressed in theatrical costumes

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Photograph of a performer, Toada, and three men dressed in theatrical costumes

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
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 was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker