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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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BHP gathered finds from its connected research sources. Showing the 4 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Black cassock with band collar

Date
mid to late-20th century
Description
A black cassock made from polyester and cotton blended fabric with a band collar. The cassock has an A-line silhouette and shortened three quarter length sleeves. The ends of the sleeves are tucked to the interior and secured with pick stitches and white thread. Nine metal snaps run down the center front of the cassock. The hem has been altered twice, it was first shortened by an inch and five eights and secured with blue thread. For the second alteration it was shorted by eight inches and secured with pick stitches in white thread. Shortening of the hem has made the ninth metal snap unusable as the excess fabric now covers the closure. The center back seam terminates at the waist and becomes an inverted pleat. The two side seams end at the waist and then flair into deep pleats that end at the hem. Hidden openings placed in the pleats along the sides of the garment allow access to interior garments when worn. The seams on the interior are finished with machine overcast stitching. A hanger loop and a label are stitched to the inside of the collar at the center back. The woven fabric label reads [Abbey BRAND] and includes additional manufacturing information on the back of the label.
Cataloging Notes
This project received Federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Black Fashion Museum Collection
Classification
Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
Clothing - Fashion and Historical
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Black Fashion Museum founded by Lois K. Alexander-Lane
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2007.3.623
Type
cassocks
Costume
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
cotton polyester blended fabric and metal
Dimensions
L x W: 46 × 16 in. (116.8 × 40.6 cm)
Waist: 17 1/2 in. (44.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Black cassock with band collar
Record ID
nmaahc_2007.3.623
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
BLACK CASSOCK WITH BAND COLLAR
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1990s
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

Black cassock with band collar

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NMAAHC

Black cassock with band collar

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NMAAHC

Photograph of students in meditation at St. Augustine's High School

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NMAAHC

When the Verdict Hurts, Mark 15:21

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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.