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Black History Portal
THE BHP WIRE —
HIDDEN TRUTHS
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
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

Explore Black History

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

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

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Places

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Events

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

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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

Army mess dress blue jacket worn by Louis J. Beasley

Date
mid 20th Century
Created by
Kenzar, Japanese
Worn by
Louis J. Beasley, American, 1907 - 2001
Description
A navy blue mess dress jacket worn by Army Chaplain Louis J. Beasley. The jacket is double-breasted, with a notched collar and a wide lapel. The black lapel color indicates the branch (Infantry). The jacket has six (6) gold buttons, three on each side, and on each button is the crest of the United States. The cuffs of the jacket are trimmed with two (2) narrow horizontal bars of gold sleeve braid, above which there are scrolled Austrian knots made from four (4) strands of gold sleeve braid.
The inside of the jacket is lined with navy synthetic fabric. There is a horizontally oriented inset breast pocket at each interior front side.
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Men
Military
Religion
Segregation
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Military Uniforms
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Louis J. Beasley Family
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2013.205.6
Type
dress uniforms
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wool knit, synthetic fiber lining, gold-colored passementerie and metal buttons
Dimensions
H x W (Flat): 31 1/2 × 19 in. (80 × 48.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Army mess dress blue jacket worn by Louis J. Beasley
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.205.6
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
ARMY MESS DRESS BLUE JACKET WORN BY LOUIS J. BEASLEY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1960s
Name
Beasley, Louis J. • Kenzar
Topic
Segregation • Clothing and dress • Men • Religion • Military
Culture
African Americans
Type
dress uniforms
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

Cream and silver double breasted jacket

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Pink jacket with East Asian inpsired brocade pattern

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Army mess dress blue jacket worn by Louis J. Beasley

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

White leather jacket by Baby Phat

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.