PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — “May 13, 1985, is the day that will be forever ingrained in the history of the city of Philadelphia,” said Councilmember Jamie Gauthier before the unveiling of an educational exhibit chronicling the MOVE bombing tragedy and the events leading up to it.
Gauthier recalled the day when the city carried out an attack on its own citizens, firing thousands of rounds of ammunition and ultimately dropping explosive devices from a helicopter on a home during a standoff with the self-described Black liberation organization MOVE.
“Like most Philadelphians alive at the time, especially Black and brown Philadelphians, the memory of watching Cobbs Creek go up in flames is permanently seared into my mind,” Gauthier added.
MOVE had been criticized by neighbors for noise and sanitation issues. City leaders classified the group as a “terrorist organization.” Nine members of the group were found guilty of third-degree murder after an altercation left a police officer dead in 1978.
Tensions escalated over the years, and the city’s brutal response in 1985 cost six adults and five children their lives.
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“I remember watching the news. Once I learned that our house was on fire and not being able to believe that our family died and that they were bombed,” said Michael Africa Jr., a MOVE member.
He was related to many of the people in the home who perished and was just 6 years old when the bombs dropped. He says he wants the city to pay for his aunt’s home that was destroyed. In fact 61 homes were destroyed by the spreading fire and 250 families were displaced.
Africa says he appreciates the exhibit but questions why it took so long to create.
“This is 38 years after the bombing. How does this come about 38 years later? It’s because people worked to make sure that something came about. It didn't come about because the city just wanted to do something,” said Africa.
The permanent exhibit at the city’s Municipal Services Building is meant to educate in hopes of history not repeating itself, but Africa says more needs to be done.
“How is it enough? How could it be enough? People are dead, children are dead. The city will never stop paying for what they did.”
Mayor Jim Kenney called the dropping of explosive devices by helicopter onto the row home on Osage Avenue one of the most transformational events and experiences of his life.
“The Remembering MOVE exhibit deliberately focuses on the events of May 13, 1985, and reflects our commitment to recognizing and addressing the systemic and institutionalized racism in our city and country's history,” said Kenney.
The exhibit, created by the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, uses documentary photography and other sources to present the complex history of the MOVE bombing and to remind everyone of the destructive event and its victims.
More than 120 public documents, including reports, news articles, videos, books, and biographies were used to develop the exhibit, from sources including the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection and the Special Collections Research Center at Temple University; The Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University; The City of Philadelphia’s Department of Records; the Jubilee School; and the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The exhibit, located at 1401 John F Kennedy Blvd., and can be viewed during operating hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. To schedule a tour, email OACCE at arts@phila.gov.