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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

Victrola phonograph from the Sugg McDonald house

Date
1927-1928
Manufactured by
Victor Talking Machine Company, 1901 - 1929
Owned by
Vernon Sugg McDonald, American, 1906 - 1982
Description
A portable Victrola phonograph. The exterior of the phonograph is wood and has some chipping. The machine is a case that opens up on a hinge. The speaker is on the front outside of the phonograph. The interior of the phonograph is orange and contains the working parts of the machine. The case holds a yellow brown felt turntable, tone arm, support bracket, brake, motorboard lifting knob and screws, needle, crank, speed regulator and a soundbox. The soundbox reads: [Victrola 4 / Victor Talking Machine Co. / Camden, N.J. / U.S.A.] The crank snaps into a holder on the top of the interior. The Victor Victrola phonograph logo with the dog is also on the interior, top portion of the machine. Underneath the turntable, a metal plate reads: [VV2 30 25215]. There is also a card that reads: [4931 Inspected Part 18447 / Cabinet / Mach.Equip. / Elec. Equip.] The card has a black ink mark running through the Mach. Equip. line. There are numbers written in pencil in some of the fields of the card.
Place collected
Sugg McDonald House, Sonora, Tuolumne County, California, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American West
Black interiors
Domestic life
Families
Music
Recreation
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Exhibition
Power of Place
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 051
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Bob and Sherri Brennan in memory of Vernon Sugg McDonald
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.316.4.1
Type
phonographs
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood with metal and plastic and felt
Dimensions
H x W (Closed): 8 × 12 3/4 × 14 1/8 in. (20.3 × 32.4 × 35.9 cm)
H x W (Open): 7 1/2 × 12 3/4 × 28 7/8 in. (19.1 × 32.4 × 73.3 cm)
H x W (Open (slightly over 90 degrees)): 18 1/2 × 12 3/4 × 21 in. (47 × 32.4 × 53.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Victrola phonograph from the Sugg McDonald house
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.316.4.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
VICTROLA PHONOGRAPH FROM THE SUGG MCDONALD HOUSE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1920s
Name
Victor Talking Machine Company • McDonald, Vernon Sugg
Place
Sugg McDonald House • United States • North and Central America • Tuolumne County • California • Sonora
Topic
Black interiors • American West • Recreation • Domestic life • Music • Family
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Power of Place
Geo Location
Locale • Sugg McDonald House • City • Sonora • County • Tuolumne County • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
phonographs
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.

NMAAHC

Press Release from the Lincoln Motion Picture Company

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Tobie, I Kind o’ Likes You

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

In The Shadow of the Pines

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Victrola phonograph from the Sugg McDonald house

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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.