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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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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

Double neck guitar/synthesizer owned by Vernon Reid

Date
1986-1995
Description
A double necked electric guitar / synthesizer owned by Vernon Reid. The guitar is black. The top neck of the guitar is the synthesizer with buttons at the top and along the neck where the bridge and pickups would be on a traditional guitar. The top neck is black and white. The bottom neck of the guitar is brown and slightly longer than the top neck. There are volume and tone controls on the right side of the guitar's body and six strings. White text printed on the bottom right side of the front reads “Starr Labs.”
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, Donated by Vernon Reid
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2021.92.1
Type
guitars
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood and metal with plastic
Dimensions
H x W x D: 39 × 22 × 3 3/4 in. (99.1 × 55.9 × 9.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Double neck guitar/synthesizer owned by Vernon Reid
Record ID
nmaahc_2021.92.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
DOUBLE NECK GUITAR/SYNTHESIZER OWNED BY VERNON REID
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1980s
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

Bootsy Collins Space Bass guitar owned by Bootsy Collins

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Signed guitar and case owned by James Brown

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Double neck guitar/synthesizer owned by Vernon Reid

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Electric guitar belonging to Chuck Berry, nicknamed "Maybellene"

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.