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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
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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 3 strongest Black History matches.
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NMAAHC

Cotton scale with weight

Date
mid 19th-mid 20th century
Manufactured by
Unidentified
Owned by
Acacia Historical Arts International, Inc., American, founded 1989
Description
A pea scale, also known as a cotton scale, balance scale, or a steelyard balance. The scale is comprised of two parts: a scale with an elongated, tapered bar of steel ending in a hook, and a weight that can be hung along the length of the scale.
2017.108.23.62a: At one end of the scale is a J shaped hook for hanging a sack of cotton. On the other end of the scale are weight measurement markings and notches at the top for holding the weights in place. They scale has twenty notches between each number with deeper notches every four notches. One side of the scale is marked [5], [10], [15], [20], [25], and [30]. The other side is marked [20], [40], [60], [80], [100], and [120]. There is a round hole near the edge of the notched side of the scale. Close to the J shaped hook is a swivel hanging hook and a swivel loop hanger for suspending the scale.
2017.108.23.62b: The scale weight, or pea, is bell shaped and has a meal loop at the top with a hook threaded through. The hook is thin at the top, allowing it to rest within the notches of the scale. The weight is marked with the number [4] molded on the top. The weight is solid except for a keyhole shape on the bottom.
Place used
United States
Topic
African American
Agriculture
Cotton
Labor
Slavery
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Tools and Equipment
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
2017.108.23.62ab
Type
steelyards
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
iron
Dimensions
H x W x D (2017.108.23.62a): 29 5/8 × 6 11/16 × 1 9/16 in. (75.2 × 17 × 4 cm)
H x W x D (2017.108.23.62b): 7 5/8 × 2 11/16 × 2 11/16 in. (19.3 × 6.9 × 6.9 cm)
Title
Object Name • Cotton scale with weight
Record ID
nmaahc_2017.108.23.62ab
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
COTTON SCALE WITH WEIGHT
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1950s • 1850s
Name
Acacia Historical Arts International, Inc.
Place
United States
Topic
Slavery • Labor unions • Agriculture • Cotton
Culture
African Americans
Geo Location
Country • United States
Type
steelyards
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.

NMAAHC

Cotton scale with weight

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Cotton scale used in South Carolina

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

P. S. & W. Co. cotton scale beam

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

Which Black woman became the first elected to the United States Congress?

Shirley Chisholm, elected in 1968.