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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

San Francisco Giants spring training jersey worn and signed by Willie Mays

Date
1959
Worn by
Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, 1931 - 2024
Signed by
Willie Howard Mays Jr., American, 1931 - 2024
Subject of
Major League Baseball, American, founded 1869
San Francisco Giants, American, founded 1958
Description
A short-sleeved beige baseball jersey. There are seven (7) clear plastic buttons going down the center front of the jersey on the proper right side and the buttonholes are on the proper left side. The jersey reads [GIANTS] across the front with the "GIA" on the proper right side and the "NTS" on the proper left side. The "G" and the "S" have a series of curves and pints around them. The letters are black patches with orange outlines.
The neckline has a thin black stripe going around it with an orange line on either side. There is a thin black band going around the bottom of each sleeve with a thin orange band on either side of the black band. There is a slit on either side of the jersey starting at the bottom and going up a couple of inches. There are several small holes near the armpits.
The proper right side of the jersey is signed in blue ink. It reads [Willie Mays]. It is signed diagonally and is placed several inches down below the "G". On the bottom proper left side of the jersey there are two rectangular felt pieces sewn on with white thread. The top piece has [W. Mays] sewn onto it in black thread. The bottom piece has [1959] sewn onto it in black thread.
The back of the jersey has a large [24] sewn onto it. The numbers are black patches with an orange background. It is located in the center of the top half of the jersey.
There is an interior manufacturer's label near the neckline. The tag is white and has black and red lines. There is a red [Wilson] logo at the top. Below there are cleaning instructions in three steps typed in black. To the proper left of the instructions there is a size [42] typed in black. At the bottom is reads [WILSON SPORTING GOODS CO. /MADE IN U.S.A.] in black.
Place used
San Francisco, California, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Athletes
Baseball
Clothing and dress
Sports
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Jock Michael Smith Collection
Classification
Clothing - Sports Uniforms
Exhibition
Sports: Leveling the Playing Field
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Community/Third Floor, 3 052
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2016.159.5
Type
jerseys
sports uniforms
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wool blend, plastic, ink, and thread
Dimensions
H x W x D (On Form): 35 1/2 × 26 × 12 in. (90.2 × 66 × 30.5 cm)
H x W (Flat): 35 × 29 1/2 in. (88.9 × 74.9 cm)
Title
Object Name • San Francisco Giants spring training jersey worn and signed by Willie Mays
Record ID
nmaahc_2016.159.5
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS SPRING TRAINING JERSEY WORN AND SIGNED BY WILLIE MAYS
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s
Name
Mays, Willie Howard • San Francisco Giants • Major League Baseball
Place
San Francisco • United States • North and Central America • California
Topic
Baseball • Clothing and dress • Athletes • Sports
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Sports: Leveling the Playing Field
Geo Location
City • San Francisco • State • California • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
sports uniforms • jerseys
On Physical Exhibit
Yes
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.

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San Francisco Giants spring training jersey worn and signed by Willie Mays

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Jersey worn by Curly Neal for the Harlem Globetrotters

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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

Who became the first Black woman to travel into space?

Mae Jemison, aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1992.