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MOVE is an organization which was formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972 by John Africa (born Vincent Leaphart) and Donald Glassey. MOVE was described by CNN as "a loose-knit, mostly black group whose members all adopted the surname Africa, advocated a 'back-to-nature' lifestyle and preached against technology."[1] The group was impacted by a 1985 bombing by the Philadelphia Police Department, in which eleven MOVE members died, including founder John Africa. Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook[2]) is an active supporter of MOVE,[3] and penned a 1998 letter titled Long Live John Africa![4]
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MOVE organization
Africa and his primarily African-American followers adopted the surname "Africa", and in 1971, they collectively purchased a house and lived in it communally. Their actions brought close scrutiny from the Philadelphia police. In 1978, an armed confrontation with the police ended peacefully, but the group reneged on a promise to relocate.[5] When the police later attempted entry using a bulldozer, one policeman was killed and several people were injured.[6] Subsequently, MOVE moved to a new location, a row of tenements, in 1985. Again, they were viewed as a public nuisance. Ultimately, the Philadelphia Police Department bombed the building in which the MOVE members lived. On May 13, 1985, eleven MOVE members, including John Africa, died in the resulting fire.[7] In 1996, in a civil action in U.S. federal court the jury ordered the City of Philadelphia and two former city officials to pay 1.5 million dollars to a survivor and relatives of two people killed in the attack. The jury found that the city used excessive force and violated the members' constitutional protection against unreasonable search and seizure.[8]
References in music
MOVE is mentioned in many songs, often in punk bands' music. Examples include the song Sunset on 32nd by Strike Anywhere; Operation M.O.V.E. by Leftöver Crack; M.O.V.E. by Fifth Column; Philadelphia by Atom and his Package; Mumia's Song by Anti-Flag; Untitled by Jedi Mind Tricks; No Justice, No Peace by Aus Rotten; Watermelon City by Elizabeth Alexander on the DJ /rupture album Special Gunpowder; Be Careful Tonight by Beru Revue; and Save a City... by Mischief Brew.
See also
References
- ^ Philadelphia, city officials ordered to pay $1.5 million in MOVE case; June 24, 1996; CNN
- ^ Smith, Laura. "'I spend my days preparing for life, not for death'", The Guardian, October 27 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-29.
- ^ "The Suspect - One Who Raised His Voice", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 10, 1981. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
- ^ Letter from Mumia: Long Live John Africa!NoDeathPenalty.org, July 4, 1998
- ^ "Nose to Nose: Philadelphia confronts a cult", TIME magazine, August 14 1978. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ ""Surrender Immediately"", TIME magazine, August 21 1978. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Frank Trippett. ""It Looks Just Like a War Zone"", TIME magazine, May 27 1985. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ Newsbank.com
Further reading
- Discourse and Destruction: The City of Philadelphia versus MOVE, Robin Wagner-Pacifici, University of Chicago Press, 1994
- Move: Sites of Trauma (Pamphlet Architecture 23); Johanna Saleh Dickson; Princeton Architectural Press, 2002
- The Bombing of Osage Avenue, Toni Cade Bambara
External links
- Offical MOVE website
- Blog of a former MOVE supporter
- MOVE on a political support website
- Website about MOVE
- Report of the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission (AKA the "MOVE Commission")
- "John Africa's MOVE Organization"
- "25 Years on the MOVE"
- Alice Walker's Thoughts about MOVE and the bombing
- "A Basic History of the 1985 MOVE Bombing: Rogue Police and Weak Leadership"
- Mindfully.org's scan of a New York Times story on the bombing
