A new exhibit in Philadelphia’s Municipal Services Building is dedicated to the MOVE bombing four decades ago. “Remembering MOVE: May 13, 1985,” was curated by the city’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy and combines photography and an array of public documents, including reports, news articles, videos, books, and biographies, offering a window into the complex history surrounding the MOVE bombing.
The exhibit, which will be permanently displayed in the lobby of the building at 1401 John F. Kennedy Blvd., pulls information from institutions like the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries, and The Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University, among others.
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“My hope is that Remembering MOVE will inspire civic dialogue about Philadelphia’s controversial past and strive to prevent such a tragedy from happening again,” Mayor Jim Kenney said in a press release.
Kelly Lee, executive director of the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, emphasized the importance of preserving this history. By doing so, the community can collectively strive to ensure that history does not repeat itself, she said.
“Remembering MOVE” was created in response to an independent report by Dechert LLP and Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP that urged the city to take significant steps in educating Philadelphians about this tragic event in its history.
On May 13, 1985, during a 24-hour siege at the headquarters of the black liberation group at 6221 Osage Ave. in West Philly, police resorted to a drastic measure, dropping C4 explosives from a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter. This extreme action was in response to an armed protest against the imprisonment of nine MOVE members convicted in the 1978 murder of Philadelphia police officer James Ramp. Among the 11 people killed by the bomb’s explosion were five children, and the resulting fire became the most devastating in Philadelphia’s history.
In June 2017, a historical marker commemorating the bombing was installed at the edge of Cobbs Creek Park, opposite Osage Avenue. Former Mayor Wilson Goode’s MOVE Commission ultimately labeled the incident as an “unconscionable” act, leading to a civil lawsuit where Philadelphia paid $1.5 million to a survivor and relatives of two deceased MOVE members.
In July 2021, the remains of the 11 victims were returned to the Africa family after it was revealed that April that former Health Commissioner Thomas Farley had improperly approved the cremation and removal of the remains in 2017 without notifying the family. However, the cremation never occured and the remains were discovered in a box by a city worker. In response to the mishandling, Farley resigned.
Also, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University have issued apologies for housing the remains of another unidentified MOVE bombing victim.
In January, a member of the Africa family bought the house now at 6221 Osage Ave., where the bombing took place. Mike Africa Jr. expressed a sense of victory in reclaiming the property. Louise James, the owner of the original home and sister of MOVE founder John Africa, was a columnist for the Philadelphia Tribune, addressing issues like racism, police violence, and governmental corruption. Africa Jr. said her dying wish was to have her house returned, a request that the city denied.
“Remembering MOVE: May 13, 1985,” can be viewed in the Municipal Services Building Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.