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Black History Portal
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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
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THE JOURNEY THROUGH TIME
BHP HOME BEFORE AMERICA 1800–1936 1937–1957 1958–1980 1981–2000 2001–PRESENT

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Events

Moments that changed communities, movements, institutions and the nation.

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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...

The Violence That Helped Spark the NAACP

In August 1908, a white mob attacked Springfield, Illinois’s Black community, destroying homes and businesses and lynching two Black men. National outrage over the violence helped spur the movement that created the NAACP the following year.

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

Grey tail coat worn by Cab Calloway

Date
1976-1995
Designed by
After Six, Inc., American, founded 1903
Worn by
Cab Calloway, American, 1907 - 1994
Description
A silvery gray swallow-tailed coat worn by Cab Calloway. The coat is made of a medium weight slubbed twill fabric with silver satin peaked lapels and straight cuffless sleeves. There are two (2) decorative silver satin-covered buttons, one at each outside wrist. The coat does not close in the front, but there are six (6) decorative silver satin-covered buttons, three on each front side. The tails of the coat are rounded on the outside edge with a squared corner at the center vent. There are two (2) decorative silver satin-covered buttons on the back, one at each center seam of the tails. The coat body and sleeves are lined with silver synthetic fabric, while the underside of the tails are self-lined. There are two interior inset pockets, one at each front side breast, lined with a white open weave nylon fabric. There is a hanger loop at the interior center back neck made of maroon fabric with yellow embroidered text reading "After Six / COUTURE / MADE IN U.S.A.". An additional designer's label, also maroon with yellow text, is sewn below the interior proper left breast pocket that reads, "After / Six / COUTURE". A manufacturer's label with size 48R and care instructions is sewn inside the proper right interior breast pocket. Below this tag is a union label for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU).
Topic
African American
Clothing and dress
Composers (Musicians)
Conductors (Musicians)
Costume
Costume design
Dance
Design
Jazz (Music)
Singers (Musicians)
See more items in
National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
Classification
Clothing - Costume
Exhibition
Musical Crossroads
On View
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Culture/Fourth Floor, 4 053
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Cabella Calloway Langsam
Data Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Object number
2013.237.3.1
Type
tail coats
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
Medium
synthetic fiber
Dimensions
H x W x D (On form): 43 1/4 × 26 × 13 in. (109.9 × 66 × 33 cm)
H x W (flat): 42 3/4 × 18 3/4 in. (108.6 × 47.6 cm)
Title
Object Name • Grey tail coat worn by Cab Calloway
Record ID
nmaahc_2013.237.3.1
Museum
NMAAHC
Title Sort
GREY TAIL COAT WORN BY CAB CALLOWAY
Source
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Metadata Usage
CC0
Date
1990s • 1970s
Name
After Six, Inc. • Calloway, Cab
Topic
Design • Costume • Clothing and dress • Conductors (Musicians) • Composers (Musicians) • Dance • Jazz (Music) • Singers (Musicians)
Culture
African Americans
Exhibition
NMAAHC • Musical Crossroads
Type
tail coats
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.

NMAAHC

Black tail coat with white pocket handkerchief worn by Cab Calloway

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Grey tail coat worn by Cab Calloway

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Black wig with rainbow accents worn by George Clinton

Date: Date

Description

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NMAAHC

Print of Cab Calloway and dancers performing

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

Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.