The MOVE Bombing: A Philadelphia Tragedy
- Nelly Marie
- May 21
- 6 min read
The MOVE Bombing: A Philadelphia Tragedy
On May 13, 1985, the city of Philadelphia dropped a bomb on its own people, targeting members of the Black liberation group MOVE. This horrific act resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including five children, and the destruction of 61 homes in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Cobbs Creek. The MOVE bombing was a watershed moment in American history—an example of unchecked state violence against Black communities.
This story is more than just history; it is a reflection of the systemic racism and oppression that still permeate society today. For those of us who grew up in its shadow, the bombing is personal. Living on Pine Street in West Philadelphia, I watched every May 13th as MOVE members and supporters marched down the block to commemorate those who lost their lives. This wasn’t just a parade of remembrance—it was a call for justice, a demand that the world never forget what happened on that day.
Who Was MOVE?
MOVE was founded in the 1970s by John Africa, born Vincent Leaphart, a visionary who sought to create a movement centered on natural living, environmental justice, and resistance to systemic racism. MOVE’s communal living, raw food diets, and vocal activism were deeply rooted in the liberation struggles of the time. Their name wasn’t an acronym; it represented movement, action, and resistance.
MOVE’s ideology made them a target. Their demonstrations against police brutality, animal cruelty, and environmental destruction brought them into frequent clashes with the Philadelphia establishment.
To the city, MOVE was a problem to be silenced. To their supporters, they were warriors of justice.
The First Confrontation: 1978
The MOVE organization’s standoff with city officials didn’t start in 1985. On August 8, 1978, the police raided MOVE’s Powelton Village headquarters after neighbors complained of loud protests. A violent confrontation ensued, resulting in the death of Officer James Ramp. MOVE maintains to this day that Ramp was killed by friendly fire.
Nine MOVE members, now known as the MOVE 9, were convicted of third-degree murder and sentenced to 30-100 years in prison. Among them was Janine Africa, who spent over 40 years behind bars for a crime she insists she didn’t commit.
The Road to May 13, 1985
By the early 1980s, MOVE had relocated to a rowhouse at 6221 Osage Avenue. Tensions with neighbors escalated as MOVE members used loudspeakers to broadcast their ideology day and night, often condemning police brutality and systemic racism.
Instead of addressing these tensions with mediation, then-Mayor Wilson Goode, Philadelphia’s first Black mayor, approved a militarized police operation to evict MOVE. Goode later claimed he was unaware of the full scope of the police plan, but his administration’s actions sealed the fate of MOVE and the Cobbs Creek neighborhood.
The Bombing: A Day of Horror
On the morning of May 13, 1985, the operation to remove MOVE began. Hundreds of heavily armed police officers surrounded the house, cutting off water and electricity to force MOVE members out. As tensions escalated, the police fired tear gas and used water cannons in an attempt to breach the house. MOVE members, including women and children, refused to surrender.
By afternoon, police had fired over 10,000 rounds of ammunition into the home. Negotiations failed, and the city made a decision that shocked the world: a state police helicopter dropped a satchel bomb, filled with C-4 and Tovex, onto the roof of 6221 Osage Avenue.
The bomb ignited a fire that spread rapidly. In a decision that defied logic and humanity, officials instructed firefighters to “let the fire burn.” The inferno consumed the MOVE home and spread to neighboring houses, destroying an entire block. Eleven people inside the house, including MOVE’s founder John Africa, perished in the flames.
Witnessing the Flames: Chuey Brand’s Story
For those who lived on Osage Avenue, the horror was inescapable. Chuey Brand, a neighbor and childhood friend of the MOVE children, watched helplessly as the house burned. His spoken word captures the pain of witnessing such a tragedy:
“The roof, the roof, the roof was on fire.
And they let it burn.
Our friends, our neighbors—our lives were in those flames.
On that day, justice didn’t fall.
It was pushed off the roof of 6221 Osage Avenue,
Set ablaze,
And left for the ashes to tell the story.”
Chuey’s words are a testament to the innocence lost that day. The children who died—Delisha Africa, Tree Africa, and others—were not just victims of a fire; they were victims of a city that saw them as expendable.
The Aftermath
The Destruction of a Community
The fire left 61 homes in ruins, displacing hundreds of residents. The city’s attempt to rebuild was disastrous, with poorly constructed homes falling apart within years. To this day, Osage Avenue remains a symbol of the devastation wrought by the bombing.
Mishandling of Remains
Adding to the trauma, the remains of two children killed in the bombing—Delisha Africa and Tree Africa—were discovered in 2021 to have been held at the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University without the consent of their families. This revelation reignited outrage and brought renewed attention to the city’s failure to take accountability.
No Accountability
Despite the loss of life and destruction, no city officials or police officers were held criminally responsible. The MOVE Commission, formed to investigate the bombing, described the decision to drop the bomb as “reckless” and “unconscionable.” Yet, their findings led to little systemic change.
Mayor Wilson Goode publicly apologized decades later, but his apology did little to heal the wounds of a community that remains scarred.
MOVE Today: The Struggle Continues
MOVE is not a story locked in 1985. It’s a living, breathing movement that continues to demand truth, accountability, and justice. Survivors like Janine Africa, who spent over four decades in prison for a crime she maintains she didn’t commit, are still speaking, organizing, and carrying the memory of what was done to their families and community.
Each year on May 13th, MOVE members and their supporters march—not just to remember those who were lost, but to remind the world that justice was never served. I used to watch those marches from my block on Pine Street. They weren’t just commemorations—they were warnings, lessons, and calls to action.
In 2020, the Philadelphia City Council issued a formal apology, calling the bombing “reckless” and “unconscionable.” They also declared May 13th as a day of remembrance and reflection. Symbolic, yes—but a necessary step in a city that tried for decades to erase what happened.
In 2021, it came to light that the remains of two MOVE children—Delisha and Tree Africa—were kept without consent by the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University, used for study and display without ever being returned to their families. The revelation reopened wounds that had never healed.
In 2024, the University of Pennsylvania reached a settlement with Lionell Dotson, the brother of one of the children. While the terms are private, the acknowledgment itself stands as a painful, public reminder of how far institutions went to disrespect Black life—even in death.
Still, no one has been held criminally responsible for the bombing, for the fire that was allowed to burn, or for the children who were lost in it.
MOVE is still demanding:
• The release of all unredacted records related to the bombing and the MOVE 9
• Full reparations for the destruction of the Osage Avenue neighborhood
• The protection and proper return of ancestral remains
• A permanent memorial honoring the lives stolen and the community destroyed
Janine Africa said,
“When you let it be done to MOVE, it’s going to come to you.”
Her words were never just about the past. They are a blueprint for vigilance. For accountability. For truth.
What happened on May 13, 1985, should never be forgotten. Because what was done to MOVE was done to all of us.
Title: The MOVE Bombing: A Philadelphia Tragedy
Meta Description: Learn the full history of the MOVE bombing, a devastating act of state violence in 1985 that targeted a Black liberation group. Discover its lasting impact and the fight for justice.
Keywords: MOVE bombing, May 13, 1985, Wilson Goode, Black liberation, state violence, systemic racism, Osage Avenue, Pine Street, Philadelphia history, Chuey Brand, Janine Africa, MOVE organization.
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