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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

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

Date
1973
Commissioned by
Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, American, founded 1950
Used by
Reverend Clay Evans, American, 1925 - 2019
Caption
Reverend Dr. Clay Evans (June 23, 1925- November 27, 2019) was a prominent civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and gospel singer. Born in Brownsville, Tennessee, Dr. Evans utilized his platform on countless occasions to address sociopolitical issues of the times. His connection to addressing community issues while having a deep passion for musical ministry connected him to millions of Americans worldwide. This lectern was in use during the time he served as the founding pastor at the Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois.
Description
This is a wooden lectern originally used by Reverend Clay Evans. It has three sides, two that face the audience and the third that the speaker stands behind. The two audience-facing sides are solid panels of dark wood. Near the top edge of each of these two panels is text carved into the wood and painted with gold paint. The text reads from left-hand panel to right [“IT IS NO SECRET / WHAT GOD CAN DO.] The two panels do not reach all the way to the floor. Instead, there are an additional two smaller lengths of the same polished dark wood that form a triangular-shaped base for the main body of the lectern to rest on. The third side of the lectern is open and has four shelves of various heights. The top shelf forms the desk on which to rest papers during a speech. This top surface is covered by blue fabric. Just under the lip of this top surface on the right-hand side are two metal switch plates. Two thick rubber covered wires emerge from under the lectern on the right-hand side.
Place used
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Baptist
Civil Rights
Communities
Gospel (Music)
Preaching
Religion
Singers (Musicians)
Social reform
The Black Church
Urban life
Worship services
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Sacred and Ceremonial Objects
Furnishings, Housewares, and Décor
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Rev. Clay Evans
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2021.109.1
Type
lecterns
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
wood with cloth, chrome, and electrical wiring
Dimensions
H x W x D (pulpit): 50 × 59 1/2 × 26 in. (127 × 151.1 × 66 cm)
Title
Object Name • Lectern used by Reverend Dr. Clay Evans at Fellowship Baptist Church
Record ID
nmaahc_2021.109.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
LECTERN USED BY REVEREND DR. CLAY EVANS AT FELLOWSHIP BAPTIST CHURCH
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1970s
Name
Evans, Clay • Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church
Place
Chicago • United States • Illinois • North and Central America • Cook County
Topic
Social reform • Communities • Preaching • Religion • Gospel (Music) • The Black Church • Civil rights • Worship services • Singers (Musicians) • Urban life
Culture
Baptists • African Americans
Geo Location
City • Chicago • County • Cook County • State • Illinois • 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.

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NMAAHC

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

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

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

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

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

Date: Date

Caption

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NMAAHC

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

Date: Date

Caption

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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.