q2K BHP
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
What's New!
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.

✊🏾

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

Miniature "Dunnigan-Payne" lectern from the White House briefing room

Date
ca. 2020
Created by
Unidentified
Subject of
Alice Allison Dunnigan, American, 1906 - 1983
Ethel L. Payne, American, 1911 - 1991
Owned by
Karine Jean-Pierre, born 1974
Caption
Karine Jean-Pierre official became the 35th White House press secretary on May 13, 2022 after serving as the White House principal deputy press secretary from January 20, 2021. She was the first Black woman to hold a White House press briefing since Judy Smith in 1991 and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to ever hold a briefing in the White House. Similarly, she is the first Black person and openly LGBTQ+ person to hold the position of White House press secretary.
This miniature lectern is a scale model of the lectern Jean-Pierre used during her tenure as Press Secretary, which she named the “Dunnigan-Payne Lectern” after Alice Dunnigan and Ethel Payne. Dunnigan and Payne are two historic African American journalists who were the first Black women to become White House correspondents. They helped paved the way for a Black woman like Karine to become the first White House Press Secretary.
Description
A miniature model (a) of the "Dunnigan-Payne" lectern from the White House briefing room used by Karine Jean-Pierre with a book (b) and four microphones (c-f). The lectern has a pointed slanted top made of dark brown wood. The text [Rafael Velasco] is written along the bottom of the top in black marker. The stand is made of blue painted plastic with dark brown wood glued to each of the three sides. The bottom of the lectern is made of blue plastic and widens at the sides towards the bottom. The book is made of white wood or plastic and is open at the center with three rings along the interior spine. The back of the book is made of blue plastic. The four black plastic miniature microphones are curved and are all identical.
Place depicted
Washington, District of Columbia, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Communication
Government
Journalism
LGBTQ
Politics
U.S. History, 2001-
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Other
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Karine Jean-Pierre
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2025.31.4a-f
Type
lecterns
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood, plastic, paint, glue, and ink
Dimensions
L x W (a. lectern): 8 × 6 in. (20.3 × 15.2 cm)
L x W (b. book): 3 1/2 × 2 in. (8.9 × 5.1 cm)
L x W (c-f. each microphone): 1 × 1/4 in. (2.5 × 0.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Miniature "Dunnigan-Payne" lectern from the White House briefing room
Record ID
nmaahc_2025.31.4a-f
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
MINIATURE "DUNNIGAN-PAYNE" LECTERN FROM THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING ROOM
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
2020s • 2010s
Name
Payne, Ethel L. • Dunnigan, Alice Allison • Jean-Pierre, Karine
Place
District of Columbia • United States • North and Central America • Washington
Topic
Women • LGBTQ • Government • Journalism • Politics • U.S. History, 2001- • Communication
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Washington • State • District of Columbia • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
lecterns
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.

No preview image
NMAAHC

In Sojourner Truth I fought for the rights of women as well as blacks

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
NMAAHC

Lectern used at the Wayman Chapel A.M.E. Church in Lyles Station, Indiana

Date: Date

Description

MORE →
NMAAHC

Miniature "Dunnigan-Payne" lectern from the White House briefing room

Date: Date

Caption

MORE →
NMAAHC

Lectern used by Reverend Dr. Clay Evans at Fellowship Baptist Church

Date: Date

Caption

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.