q2K BHP
Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
What's New!
THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Explore Black History

Explore the people, places, events, achievements, struggles and stories that shaped our journey.

✊🏾

Civil Rights

Movements, leaders, victories and the continuing fight for equality.

⚙️

Black Inventors

Innovation, patents, science, technology and world-changing contributions.

🏆

Sports

Pioneers, champions, Negro Leagues, records, activism and excellence.

♟️

People

Meet the people whose lives, choices and achievements shaped the journey.

📍

Places

Black towns, communities, institutions and places where history happened.

📜

Events

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

Enter a person, place, event, or topic.
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.

MORE →
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.

MORE →
BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
← BACK TO RESULTS
NMAAHC

School copy book used by Hannah Amelia Lyons

Date
1830-1836
Caption
Hannah A. Lions’s School Copy Book, 1831
Attending school in Philadelphia, Hannah Lions copied down her math, history, and poetry lessons in this notebook. Her family saved this book as "proof that there were some educated [black] people way back when."
Slavery and Freedom Exhibition
Description
A school copy book printed by Philip Price in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and used by Hannah Amelia Lyons. The book has paper covers bound on the proper left side. A length of knotted pink string extends from the top edge of the binding, serving as a bookmark. Several engravings are printed on the front and back covers. On the front cover is a portrait of John Adams entitled "Late President of the United States," above an allegorical scene and space for the owner to sign the book, followed by the printer's name. The back cover has an image of an eagle flying over open waters between two ships and clasping a banner reading "SHIPPED" in its beak. Below the eagle is a floral sprig on the left and a grouping of masonic symbols on the right, with a thin scrollwork border below them. Below the border is a shield with an eagle inside it holding a banner reading "E Pluribus Unum". Below the shield are two separate allegorical scenes. The interior pages contain various school exercises including mathematics and poetry, with inscriptions dating from 1830 to 1836. On the front cover, within a printed box at bottom center is "THE PROPERTY OF" with the signature [Hannah A. Lyons / 1832].
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Documents and Manuscripts
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Hope Evans Boyd
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2012.124.2
Type
workbooks
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper with string
Dimensions
H x W: 13 x 8 in. (33 x 20.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • School copy book used by Hannah Amelia Lyons
Record ID
nmaahc_2012.124.2
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
SCHOOL COPY BOOK USED BY HANNAH AMELIA LYONS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1830s
Geo Location
City • Philadelphia • State • Pennsylvania • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
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

Sharp's Language Drills and Test: Fifth Grade

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

School copy book used by Hannah Amelia Lyons

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

Southern Christian Leadership Conference Citizenship Workbook

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
No preview image
NMAAHC

The Teachings of W.D. Muhammad, Book 1, Elementary Level

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
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.

MORE →
TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE DAY

Which Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.