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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 8 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

"Riot penny" charred during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Date
1919
Created by
United States Mint, American, founded 1792
Owned by
George Monroe, American, 1916 - 2001
Description
A charred penny from the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. The penny is red and brown. The embossing on the front of the penny is still visible. The word "Liberty" is on the left side next to a portrait of President Abraham Lincoln in profile. "1919" appears next to Lincoln on the right side. The back side of the coin is completely melted and nothing is visible.
Place collected
Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Communities
Race discrimination
Race riots
Tulsa Race Massacre
U.S. History, 1919-1933
Violence
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Coins and Currency
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 Scott Ellsworth
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.96.4
Type
coins
Restrictions & Rights
Public domain
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
copper alloy
Dimensions
Diameter: 3/4 in. (1.9 cm)
3/4 x 3/4 x 1/16 in. (1.9 x 1.9 x 0.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • "Riot penny" charred during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.96.4
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
"RIOT PENNY" CHARRED DURING THE 1921 TULSA RACE MASSACRE
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1910s
Name
United States Mint • Monroe, George
Place
United States • Oklahoma • North and Central America • Tulsa
Topic
U.S. History, 1919-1933 • Discrimination • Communities • Violence • Race • Race riots • Tulsa Race Massacre
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Power of Place
Geo Location
City • Tulsa • State • Oklahoma • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Coins (money)
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.

National Archives

August 5, 1898 - February 28, 1900

Date: 188011983
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NMAAHC

"Riot penny" charred during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

"Riot penny" charred during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

"Riot penny" charred during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

"Riot penny" charred during the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

Date: Date

Description

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National Archives

Tennessee SP First Colored Baptist Church

Date: 135819766

This resource is located in Shelby County, Tennessee. Areas of significance include: Religion; Social History; Ethnic Heritage: African American. Architectural classifications include: Colonial Revival. The National Historic Places Register Reference Number is 00000807.

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National Archives

Lech Walesa Arrival and Toast 3/15/91 [OA 6856] [2]

Date: 323153255
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National Archives

Despatches: September 30, 1895 - December 5, 1900

Date: 212015725
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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 Supreme Court case ruled state-sponsored public-school segregation unconstitutional?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.