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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

Manifest of enslaved people transported from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC

Date
December 22, 1859
Written by
Capt. Treat Finn Peck, American, 1801 - 1878
Subject of
Drane & Singletary, American, founded 1858
Unidentified Man or Men
Charleston and Savannah Railway, American, 1854 - 1901
Caption
This manifest is for the movement of 118 enslaved individuals from Charleston, South Carolina to Wilmington, North Carolina on the Steamer Cecile run by Capt. F. Peck. The journey is documented as paid for by Drane & Singletary, the business partnership of Harry M. Drane and Robert L. Singletary, who are also listed as the “owners or shippers” of the enslaved individuals. At the time, Drane and Singletary were contracted to build the Charleston and Savannah Railroad, the first railroad in the South built almost exclusively by slave labor. Of the individuals listed on this manifest, all but two are male and most are between the ages of 18 and 40. This is consistent with the railroad work being conducted by Drane & Singletary as they would need young men to do a majority of the work with possibly just a few women conducting the cleaning and cooking. The forced labor of Black enslaved workers enabled the project to be completed in roughly 18 months.
Description
A manifest of 118 enslaved persons transported from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC on the steamer Cecile dated December 22, 1859. The manifest is a pre-printed form in black ink on a 60” long sheet of blue paper, completed by hand in brown ink. The top (small) section (a), which includes the pre-printed cover, has become detached from the bottom (longer) section (b).
The front cover identifies the details of the ship and voyage, along with a statement signed by F. Peck, Captain of the ship, and Drane and Singletary, owners and/or shippers of the enslaved persons, that the enslaved persons on board were not brought into the United States after January 1, 1808 and that they are “held to service or labor.” At the very top is a circular stamp in blue ink reading [CHAS S. SHULTZ / APR 20 1886 / NEW YORK]. To the left side of the cover, oriented horizontally, is the section of the manifest listing out the enslaved persons on board in eight columns with their names, gender, age, height, complexion, owners or shippers, and residence, each completed by hand with the information or a ditto mark [“]. All but two of the individuals are men and boys, with ages ranging from 13 to 47.
The blue lined rows and red lined columns of names continue on the bottom piece. There are two rows near the center where names have been crossed out. Drane and Singletary is listed as the owner or shipper and Wilmington, North Carolina, as the residence for each individual. The verso contains the same manifest form, but it has not been completed. The verso of the bottom piece is blank except at the bottom left side where there is a handwritten inscription reading “Manifest of Slaves Shipped from Charleston, S.C. to Wilmington, N.C. A Relic from Custom House papers found at Wilmington, N.C. April 1866 By Chas. S. Shultz.” Underneath is another blue stamp with the date April 20, 1886 and “Chas. S. Shultz / New York.” Each piece of the manifest has staining on both sides. There are also creases where the manifest was previously folded.
Place made
Charleston, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States, North and Central America
Topic
African American
American South
Business
Domestic slave trade
Labor
Slave trade
Slavery
U.S. History, 1815-1861
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Exhibition
Slavery and Freedom
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of the Montclair History Center
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2024.94.1ab
Type
manifests
Restrictions & Rights
No known copyright restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W: 60 × 13 1/8 in. (152.4 × 33.3 cm)
Title
Object Name • Manifest of enslaved people transported from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC
Record ID
nmaahc_2024.94.1ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
MANIFEST OF ENSLAVED PEOPLE TRANSPORTED FROM CHARLESTON, SC TO WILMINGTON, NC
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1850s
Name
Drane & Singletary • Peck, Treat Finn • Charleston and Savannah Railway
Place
Charleston County • Charleston • United States • North and Central America • South Carolina
Topic
Slavery • American South • Labor unions • Domestic slave trade • U.S. History, 1815-1861 • Business
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Slavery and Freedom
Geo Location
City • Charleston • County • Charleston County • State • South Carolina • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America
Type
manifests
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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Manifest of enslaved people transported from Charleston, SC to Wilmington, NC

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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

Which Supreme Court case ruled state-sponsored public-school segregation unconstitutional?

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.