40 Years After MOVE Bombing, Many Say Philadelphia Still Hasn’t Made Amends

Mike Africa is well-liked and greets neighbours on Osage Avenue that he has known his whole life. Africa is stressful when you’re not with the smiles and hugs.

“I don’t like coming here,” he said. “That’s creepy, it wrecks my nerves.” “I don’t like coming here.”

Forty years ago today, this block of city land was a fiery mess. Friends and family of Africa were here. Eleven of them passed away.

“To be honest with you, and I don’t know if it’s possible, I don’t know if I have processed it,” she said. “I can see kids’ faces in other people.” It’s not possible, I’m sure. I remember them when I hear their voices at night. There is a big part of me that can’t believe it.”

A lot of people think that May 13, 1985, was one of the worst days in Philadelphia’s history.

Peet Kane said, “It’s still creepy.” “You know, when I see Osage Avenue, it all comes back.”

Kane was a photographer for the neighbourhood news. He went into a row house that had been cleared for safety and stayed there until he was almost out of videotape.

“I went through the bullets, I went through the tear gas, I went through the fire,” he said. “It’s still a nightmare.”

There was a big fight between MOVE, the Black freedom, back-to-nature group, and Cobbs Creek neighbours that had been going on for years.

The city told MOVE to leave their property on Osage Avenue on May 13, 1985, but they didn’t listen. The neighbourhood had to be removed.

Things got really heated in the fight. Police and MOVE members fired guns at each other. In 90 minutes, 10,000 shots were fired.

By that afternoon, the police commissioner had given the order to bomb the compound at 6221 Osage Avenue, which was signed by former Mayor Wilson Goode. After that, the fire was left to burn and spread.

“I didn’t expect to go through a firebombing, 61 homes burned to the ground, 11 dead, six of them kids,” he said.

“When everyone was trying to get out, they retreated to the basement,” said Africa. “Tried to leave through the back.” They were being hit from the front. This is where it took place.

Eleven people were killed, many homes were destroyed, and hundreds of people were left without homes. What happened that day would lead to investigations, reviews, suggestions, and cases.

The city was blamed for how carelessly it was said to have handled the situation. The report from the MOVE Commission called the choice to bomb the house “unconscionable.”

Goode said, “I feel bad that it happened while I was in charge.”

Goode called News Philadelphia last week. He said that his government made a mistake when they carried out a plan to get MOVE members out of 6221 Osage Avenue.

People told Goode to stay away from the scene because they knew there was a threat to his life. He instead took care of the chaos from City Hall, which was a long way away.

“I think that the dropping of the device was bad, but I think that the worst part of it was letting the fire burn when they knew that there were children in the house,” said Goode.

Africa is trying to honour those who have died. He says that a historical marker put up a few years ago at 63rd Street and Osage Avenue doesn’t do a good job of showing the trauma, pain, and loss.

“There should be a historical marker that says the names and ages of the people that died here,” he stated.

“The city has pretty much closed this chapter,” said Linn Washington, a professor at Temple University and an award-winning reporter.

Washington agrees with other people that the fight between MOVE and the city did not happen quickly. Even though the city council passed measures to remember the day, he says the city has not responded well.

It had been a fight for a long time, and the MOVE Commission found that the city had ignored it.

Trump said, “When problems arise, we must solve them.” “They’re not going to leave. We really need to fix the unfair parts of the system. Because they were so stupid to let the fire burn, their whole lives were turned upside down.

No one was ever charged with a crime for what happened on May 13, 1985.

Africa said that he is still alive today because his grandmother took him out of 6221 Osage Avenue just before the police confrontation with guns.

“There’s a lot of people who still feel bitter about what happened, bitter against MOVE and bitter against the city, and it makes it hard for people to talk about,” he added. “I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully accept what happened.”

Africa wants American schools in Philadelphia to teach about what happened on Osage Avenue in 1985. It was asked of a Philadelphia School District representative, but they did not respond.

A spokeswoman for Democratic Mayor Cherelle Parker wouldn’t say anything.