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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

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Ingrid Silva of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Date
2013-2014
Created by
Chacott Co., Ltd., Japanese, founded 1950
Manufactured by
Capezio, American, founded 1887
Worn by
Ingrid Silva, Brazilian, born 1988
Description
.1: One (1) ballet pointe shoe custom-colored with cosmetics to a dark brown to match the skin tone of the dancer. A drawstring runs around the top of the foot opening and is tied in a knot at the vamp with the ends cut short. Two lengths of custom-colored satin ribbon are hand sewn to the binding, one each on the left and right side quarters of the shoe. The leather sole has hatch marks on the front half and impressed text at the heel that reads: "24 1/2 / D / M / Chacott / MADE IN JAPAN / N / L / V". Also on the sole is hand-written text reading: "26 / 5 / L / E". Uneven wear on the platform of the toe box and the ball of the foot on the outer sole indicates this shoe was worn on the left foot. The fabric-covered shank is broken at the arch of the foot with the back portion removed and the exposed front portion of the shank covered in pink and white printed Band-Aids, with the fabric cover loose where the shank is missing.
.2: Pair of dance tights, size small/medium, with inherent holes in feet that are custom-dyed to a dark brown to match the skin tone of the dancer. The foot holes allow the tights to be worn covering the foot and toes, with the hole at the ball of the foot, or worn footless with the foot portion rolled at the ankle. The tights have an elastic waistband with the clothing designer logo woven within the waistband that repeats "Capezio". A clothing tag is attached at the back of the waist with the care instructions, size, and materials. On the back of the tag is hand-written text in black ink reading "IS".
Place collected
New York City, Manhattan, New York, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Ballet
Clothing and dress
Costume
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Dance Theatre of Harlem
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.19.3.1-.2
Type
toe shoes
tights (opaque stockings)
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
Shoe: satin cloth and ribbons, elastic, leather, paper, cloth, adhesive, and cosmetics;
Tights: nylon, spandex, and dye
Dimensions
H x W x D (.1 without ribbons extended): 9 3/8 × 3 1/8 × 2 1/2 in. (23.8 × 7.9 × 6.4 cm)
L (.1 PL ribbon): 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm)
L (.1 PR ribbon): 21 5/16 in. (54.1 cm)
H x W x D (.2 on form): 23 × 5 1/2 × 4 1/2 in. (58.4 × 14 × 11.4 cm)
L x W (.2 flat): 27 × 7 3/4 in. (68.6 × 19.7 cm)
Title
Object Name • Pointe shoe and tights worn by Ingrid Silva of Dance Theatre of Harlem
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.19.3.1-.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
POINTE SHOE AND TIGHTS WORN BY INGRID SILVA OF DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2010s
Name
Chacott Co., Ltd. • Silva, Ingrid • Capezio
Place
New York City • United States • North and Central America • Manhattan
Topic
Costume • Ballet • Clothing and dress
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • New York City • County • Manhattan • State • New York • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
tights (opaque stockings) • toe shoes
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

Letter to Gloria Baldwin Karefa-Smart from Alexandra Truitt

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Alexandra Jacob of Dance Theatre of Harlem

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Phillis Wheatley (Phillis Peters): A Critical Attempt and a Bibliography of Her Writings

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Pointe shoe and tights worn by Ingrid Silva of Dance Theatre of Harlem

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.