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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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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

Wood violin and bow from the Sugg McDonald house

Date
ca. 1700-1900
Owned by
Vernon Sugg McDonald, American, 1906 - 1982
Description
2014.316.2.1.1: A wood violin with the D and G strings attached to it. The violin’s pegs, neck, and tailpiece are dark wood. The body of the violin is stained lighter. Above the pegs, the violin has a traditional scroll at its top. The violin's tailpiece is decorated with a floral pearl inlay. The D string is possibly made of gut. The G string is made of either aluminum or steel and is wrapped with a fiber. There is a label, in black print, inside F hole, or the proper left sound hole that reads: [Andreas Guarnerius fecit Cremonae sub titulo Sanctae Teresiae 16]. Next to the print [16] there are two additional numbers written in ink that are difficult to read. The violin’s bridge and part of its G peg have become detached and are housed in a plastic bag.
2014.316.2.1.2: A wood violin bow with a pearl inlay. The bow is a long, slightly curved, cylindrical rod. One end of the bow has a curved wooden tip, with a metal edge that attaches the horse hair. The opposite end of the bow has a black wood piece attached to it with decorative floral pearl inlays on both sides. A metal screw cap is at the end of the bow and there are four lines etched into the bow. There is no horse hair attached to the bow.
Place collected
Sugg McDonald House, Sonora, Tuolumne County, California, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Black interiors
Music
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Musical Instruments
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
2014.316.2.1.1-.2
Type
bows (chordophone components)
violins
musical instruments
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood with metal and fiber
Dimensions
H x W x D (2014.316.2.1.1): 3 1/2 × 7 1/2 × 21 3/4 in. (8.9 × 19.1 × 55.2 cm)
H x W x D (2014.316.2.1.2): 1 1/4 × 1/2 × 28 3/4 in. (3.2 × 1.3 × 73 cm)
Title
Object Name • Wood violin and bow from the Sugg McDonald house
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.316.2.1.1-.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
WOOD VIOLIN AND BOW FROM THE SUGG MCDONALD HOUSE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1700s • 1690s
Name
McDonald, Vernon Sugg
Place
Sugg McDonald House • United States • North and Central America • Tuolumne County • California • Sonora
Topic
Black interiors • Music
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
Locale • Sugg McDonald House • City • Sonora • County • Tuolumne County • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Musical instruments • Bows (chordophone components) • Violins
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

Wood violin and bow from the Sugg McDonald house

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Violin owned by Ginger Smock

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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.