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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...

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

US Coast Guard Dinner Dress Blue Jacket worn by Commander Merle Smith Jr.

Date
1988
Manufactured by
Jacob Reed's Sons, American, 1824 - 1983
Worn by
CMDR Merle J. Smith Jr., American, died 2021
Subject of
United States Coast Guard, American, founded 1790
Caption
Commander Merle J. Smith, Jr. became the first African American graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy in 1966. While serving in Vietnam as a cutter commander, Smith became the first African American to command a U.S. warship in close-quarters combat and was awarded the Bronze Star for actions in 1969.
Description
A United States Coast Guard Commander's dinner dress blue jacket worn by CMDR Merle J. Smith, Jr. Each sleeve has three gold stripes and a United States shield at the cuff. Each side of the jacket has an angled row of three gold buttons, with one button missing from the proper right side. Two more smaller gold buttons are at the center of the jacket opening. Inside the proper left side near the front is a label in yellow print stitched to the interior lining: "TAILORED FOR THE / UNITED STATES / COAST GUARD / ACADEMY / by Jacob Reed's Sons / FINE UNIFORMS - SINCE 1824."
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Military
Vietnam War, 1961-1975
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Military Uniforms
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Merle J. Smith, Jr.
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2014.32.1
Type
uniforms
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wool (textile) with leather, metal, thread and plastic
Dimensions
H x W x D: 32 × 19 3/4 in. (81.3 × 50.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • US Coast Guard Dinner Dress Blue Jacket worn by Commander Merle Smith Jr.
Record ID
nmaahc_2014.32.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
US COAST GUARD DINNER DRESS BLUE JACKET WORN BY COMMANDER MERLE SMITH JR.
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1980s
Name
United States Coast Guard • Smith, Merle J. • Jacob Reed's Sons
Topic
Clothing and dress • Vietnam War, 1961-1975 • Military
Culture
African Americans
Type
Uniforms
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

Washington football jersey worn by Bobby Mitchell

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

Jersey for the Washington Redskins worn by Doug Williams

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Patch for Army Forces Command worn by General Colin L. Powell

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

US Coast Guard Dinner Dress Blue Jacket worn by Commander Merle Smith Jr.

Date: Date

Caption

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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.