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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...

Ruler of the Mali Empire in the 14th century

Mansa Musa was the ruler of the Mali Empire in West Africa. Details recorded here should be sourced; unknown information is left blank.

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

Hat box filled with tools and materials from Mae's Millinery Shop

Date
1941-1994
Compiled by
Mae Reeves, American, 1912 - 2016
Owned by
Mae Reeves, American, 1912 - 2016
Subject of
Mae's Millinery Shop, American, 1941 - 1994
Description
Hat box without lid (a) made from a pasteboard bottom printed in cream and gold stripes, and clear plastic sides. The container was used by Mae Reeves to hold the following items:
(b): Published paper sewing pattern by Kandel Knits for a mini cape, pattern number 653.
(c): Pair of metal scissors with black painted handles.
(d): Metal tracing wheel with a marbled cream plastic handle. Made by Dritz.
(e): Ziploc bag containing a black and white plaid ribbon bow and nine (9) cards wrapped with various finishing tapes and trims.
(f): Ziploc bag containing seven (7) cards wrapped in black lace, one (1) length of loose black lace, one (1) length of rolled white fabric trim, and one (1) cream lace collar.
(g): Ziploc bag containing six (6) cards of buttons and seventeen (17) loose buttons, all of various colors and sizes.
(h): Ziploc bag containing three (3) papers of straight pins, one (1) paper of sewing needles, one (1) case of Singer machine sewing needles, one (1) bag of white sequins, one (1) bag of teal sequins, and two (2) loose gold sequins.
(i): Seven (7) fake flowers loose in the hat box, including six (6) peach roses and one (1) white carnation on a plastic stem with a pinback attached to it.
Place collected
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
Black Enterprise
Business
Fashion
Millinery
Women
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Collection title
Mae's Millinery Shop Collection
Classification
Tools and Equipment
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Donna Limerick
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2016.48.106a-i
Type
textiles
buttons (fasteners)
pins (fasteners)
scissors
needles
patterns (guides)
sewing tools and equipment
hatboxes
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
plastic, cloth, metal, and paper
Dimensions
H x W x D: 12 13/16 x 12 x 12 in. (32.5 x 30.5 x 30.5 cm)
Title
Object Name • Hat box filled with tools and materials from Mae's Millinery Shop
Record ID
nmaahc_2016.48.106a-i
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
HAT BOX FILLED WITH TOOLS AND MATERIALS FROM MAE'S MILLINERY SHOP
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1940s • 1990s
Name
Mae's Millinery Shop • Reeves, Mae
Place
United States • North and Central America • Philadelphia • Pennsylvania
Topic
Women • Black Enterprise • Millinery • Fashion • Business
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
City • Philadelphia • State • Pennsylvania • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
Pins (fasteners) • Scissors • Needles (piercing tools) • Buttons (fasteners) • Buttons • patterns (guides) • Sewing tools and equipment • hatboxes • Textiles
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

Gold and black jacquard caftan designed by Dapper Dan for André Leon Talley

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Silk organza unfinished dress with blue embroidery

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Hat box filled with tools and materials from Mae's Millinery Shop

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Hat with multicolor woven pattern

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

Who was the first African-American woman millionaire in the United States?

Madam C.J. Walker