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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
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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...

Ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century

Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Details recorded here should be sourced; unknown information is left blank.

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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 platform ankle boots worn by Bootsy Collins

Date
ca. 1990
Manufactured by
New Rock, founded 1978
Worn by
Bootsy Collins, American, born 1951
Description
A pair of black leather platform boots worn by Bootsy Collins. The ankle-length boots are made in a high-top sneaker style with wide tongues. The outside and inside quarter panels of the shoes have a textured black patent leather panel that also outlines the lacing. Six (6) metal grommets with engraved text "NEW ROCK" around the hole are attached with black leather loops to form the eyelets for the black cotton cord shoelaces. The aglets of the laces are a clear plastic with the words "NEW ROCK" printed in white text. A metal medallion with engraved text reading "LIVE THE FORCE / OF NATURE" is attached to the shoelace at the front of the lacing panel. Black rubber panels with a series of textured ridges are attached around the heel cap extending onto the sides of each shoe, and also on the front of the tongues. At the outside ankle of each shoe is a round black rubber logo with a planet Earth in the center and text around it reading "NEW ROCK PLANET". The shoes sit on a platform sole that measures five (5) inches at the heel. The sole is made of hard black rubber and has a series of three (3) circular cutouts that go all the way through the sides. Inside each of these cutouts is a coiled metal ball. There are two (2) additional circular indentations in the platform, one at the front of the toe and the other at the back heel, with an engraved metal logo inside each indentation with a raised center motif of planet Earth and text around it reading "NEW ROCK PLANET".
The interiors of the shoes are lined with brown leather. There is a white label with black, red, and gold machine stitching reading "NEW / ROCK / MADE IN SPAIN" sewn to the insole. Behind the label is a round sticker reading "SPAIN / 42 / Continental / 43".
Shoes have a brown leather interior. White tag on insides of shoes reads, [NEW/ROCK/MADE IN SPAIN]. Medal pendant hangs from front of laces reads, LIVE THE FORCE/OF NATURE]
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Costume
Funk (Music)
Instrumentalists (Musicians)
See more items in
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
2015.234.2.4ab
Type
boots
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
leather, rubber, metal, and cotton cord shoelaces with plastic aglets
Dimensions
H x W x D (a): 12 1/2 × 5 × 12 1/4 in. (31.8 × 12.7 × 31.1 cm)
H x W x D (b): 12 1/2 × 5 × 12 1/4 in. (31.8 × 12.7 × 31.1 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black platform ankle boots worn by Bootsy Collins
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.234.2.4ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK PLATFORM ANKLE BOOTS WORN BY BOOTSY COLLINS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1980s
Name
Collins, Bootsy • New Rock
Topic
Funk (Music) • Costume • Clothing and dress • Instrumentalists (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Musical Crossroads
Type
Boots
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

WASECA – BARBADOS ISLAND STORY: AT THE END OF A HARD DAY’S WORK

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

The Glorious Qur'an

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NMAAHC

The Links Foundation Pin

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Description

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NMAAHC

Black platform ankle boots worn by Bootsy Collins

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.