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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

Advertisement for Amos 'n' Andy Television Show sponsored by Blatz

Date
June 25, 1951
Commissioned by
Valentin Blatz Brewing Company, American, 1851 - 1959
Published by
Life Magazine, 1883 - 2007
Subject of
Amos 'n' Andy, American, 1928 - 1960
Alvin Childress, American, 1907 - 1986
Spencer Williams, American, 1893-1969
CBS Broadcasting, Inc., American, founded 1927
Description
A black and white magazine advertisement for the television show “The Amos 'n Andy Show” from Life Magazine, Volume 30, Number 26, pages 98–99. The advertisement features images of the head of Alvin Childress as cabdriver Amos Jones on page 98 (2015.64.4a) and the head of Spencer Williams as Andy Brown on page 99 (2015.64.4b). Childress is wearing a New York City taxi driver hat, while Williams is wearing a dark derby hat with a silk band and is smoking a cigar. The top third of the advertisement runs across both pages and reads, [Blatz / presents… / Amos ‘n’] on 2015.64.4a, and [Andy on TV!] on 2015.64.4b, with an image of a taxi cab driver hat hanging on the “A” over [Amos] and a derby hat hanging on the “A” over [Andy]. On the bottom of 2015.64.4b, the left half of the page text reads, [Meet a legend / face to face… / World premiere, / week of June 24th / At last, you can see America’s / most heartwarming cast of comedians / in the finest entertainment television / has ever produced. See them all… / Amos, Andy, Kingfish, Lightenin’, / Tune in…meet a legend face to face! / Proudly presented by / Blatz Beer…Milwaukee’s finest / on behalf of its dealers everywhere. / Blatz Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.]. The text on the bottom right corner reads [Another TV triumph from CBS / Consult your local newspaper / for date, time, and channel.]. 2015.64.4a also includes pages 23, 24 and 97. 2015.64.4b also includes pages 21, 22, and 100. Page 21 indicates that this issue dates to June 25, 1951.
Statement
Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
Topic
African American
Comedy
Men
Segregation
Sitcoms
Stereotypes
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Racist and Stereotypical Objects
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Kathleen M. Kendrick
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2015.64.4ab
Type
advertisements
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (2015.64a: unfolded): 14 1/16 × 20 3/4 in. (35.7 × 52.7 cm)
H x W (2015.64a: folded): 14 1/16 × 10 3/8 in. (35.7 × 26.4 cm)
H x W (2015.64b: unfolded): 14 1/16 × 20 3/4 in. (35.7 × 52.7 cm)
H x W (2015.64b: folded): 14 1/16 × 10 3/8 in. (35.7 × 26.4 cm)
Title
Object Name • Advertisement for Amos 'n' Andy Television Show sponsored by Blatz
Record ID
nmaahc_2015.64.4ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
ADVERTISEMENT FOR AMOS 'N' ANDY TELEVISION SHOW SPONSORED BY BLATZ
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s
Name
Childress, Alvin • Amos 'n' Andy • CBS Broadcasting, Inc. • Life Magazine • Valentin Blatz Brewing Company • Williams, Spencer
Topic
Sitcoms • Segregation • Men • Comedy • Stereotypes
Culture
African Americans
Type
Advertisements
Online Media Type
Images
Online Media Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions

Source: National Museum of African American History and Culture, Smithsonian Institution. Rights and restrictions shown above are supplied by the Smithsonian record.

NMAAHC

Tintype of Andy Wilson, a "contraband" servant during the Civil War

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Photograph of Mary Lou Williams playing piano with Andy Kirk and his orchestra

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Advertisement for Amos 'n' Andy Television Show sponsored by Blatz

Date: Date

Description

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No preview image
NMAAHC

Standup of the radio show character Andy Brown

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

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.