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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...

Shirley Chisholm — Unbought and Unbossed

In 1968 Shirley Chisholm became the first Black woman elected to the United States Congress. In 1972 she launched a campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, breaking another political barrier.

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

Singer treadle sewing machine cabinet table from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

Date
early 20th century
Manufactured by
Singer Corporation, American, founded 1851
Owned by
Clayton Sinclair, American
Hazel Sinclair, American
Subject of
Rock Rest Tourist Home, American, 1948 - 1976
Description
A Singer treadle sewing machine cabinet table from the Rock Rest Tourist Home. The cabinet table has a cast iron base that supports a wooden worktable with seven drawers. The base features a large cross brace at the back with casted iron text at the center that reads [SINGER]. The brace is attached to legs on either side with small metal rollers at the bottom. The legs feature a lattice pattern and a double oval at the center of the legs that frames the Singer shuttle, needle, and thread logo. Molded text on the interior ovals read [THE SINGER MANFG. CO.] along the top half with a molded laurel wreath on the bottom half. At the base is a lattice ornamented treadle, which is connected to the band wheel with a pitman that turns the band wheel when the treadle is pressed. The base supports the cabinet’s reddish brown tabletop. The table with has three drawers on each side, a wide center drawer, and a hinged cover. The side drawers are narrow and plain with plain round pulls. The center drawer is also plain and is missing its pull. It tilts down across the front of the cabinet and has three sections with dividers inside. The cover is held in place with two hinges and folds out towards the proper left side, extending the length of the table. At the center of the tabletop, below the cover, is a rectangular slot with rounded corners and a metal bracket that holds the sewing machine in place. The front of the slot is also hinged and folds upwards giving access to the metal pan below.
Place collected
Kittery, York County, Maine, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Black Enterprise
Black interiors
Business
Recreation
Segregation
Travel
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
The Rock Rest Tourist Home Collection
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail, Inc.
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2011.12.18.2.1
Type
work tables
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
varnish on wood with cast iron
Dimensions
H x W x D: 30 5/16 × 36 5/8 × 17 in. (77 × 93 × 43.2 cm)
Title
Object Name • Singer treadle sewing machine cabinet table from the Rock Rest Tourist Home
Record ID
nmaahc_2011.12.18.2.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
SINGER TREADLE SEWING MACHINE CABINET TABLE FROM THE ROCK REST TOURIST HOME
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1900s • 1950s
Name
Singer Corporation • Sinclair, Clayton • Sinclair, Hazel • Rock Rest Tourist Home
Place
United States • Maine • North and Central America • Kittery • York County
Topic
Description and travel • Black Enterprise • Black interiors • Recreation • Segregation • Business
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Kittery • County • York County • State • Maine • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
work tables
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

Cotton split-leg drawers with lace trim

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Cotton drawers with lace trim

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Chest of drawers from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Singer treadle sewing machine cabinet table from the Rock Rest Tourist Home

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

What prosperous Tulsa district became widely known as “Black Wall Street”?

The Greenwood District.