Editing MOVE Bombing 1985

'''The MOVE Bombing of 1985''' was the May 13, 1985, police assault on the MOVE organization's Osage Avenue rowhouse in West Philadelphia that resulted in the deaths of eleven people—including five children—and the destruction of 61 homes. The Philadelphia Police Department's decision to drop a bomb on the roof, igniting a fire that authorities allowed to burn, stands as one of the most controversial law enforcement actions in American history and a defining event in Philadelphia's modern history.<ref name="move">{{cite web |url=https://www.phila.gov/programs/move-reparations/ |title=MOVE |publisher=City of Philadelphia |access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>

== Background ==

=== MOVE Organization ===

MOVE (the name is not an acronym) was a Black liberation organization founded in Philadelphia in 1972 by John Africa (born Vincent Leaphart). Members adopted the surname "Africa," rejected technology, advocated for animal rights, and promoted a back-to-nature philosophy. The organization's confrontational style and the noise, odor, and disruption their compound created generated neighbor complaints and police attention.<ref name="move"/>

=== 1978 Confrontation ===

A 1978 confrontation at MOVE's Powelton Village compound resulted in a shootout that killed police officer James Ramp. Nine MOVE members were convicted and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The organization reconstituted on Osage Avenue in the Cobbs Creek neighborhood of West Philadelphia, where tensions with neighbors resumed.<ref name="move"/>

== The Assault ==

Neighbors' complaints about noise, unsanitary conditions, and harassing behavior from MOVE members led to warrants for MOVE members' arrest. On May 13, 1985, police attempted to serve the warrants, evacuating neighboring homes and beginning an armed standoff. When MOVE members did not surrender, police fired thousands of rounds and used water cannons and tear gas without effect.<ref name="move"/>

In the late afternoon, a police helicopter dropped a bomb—constructed from FBI-supplied C-4 explosive and Tovex—on a bunker atop the MOVE house. The resulting fire spread to neighboring homes. Fire Commissioner William Richmond, following Mayor Wilson Goode's instructions, allowed the fire to burn in hopes of destroying the bunker. The fire grew out of control, ultimately destroying 61 homes and killing eleven MOVE members, including founder John Africa and five children. Two MOVE members, Ramona Africa and Birdie Africa (a child), survived.<ref name="move"/>

== Aftermath ==

=== Investigations ===

The Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission (MOVE Commission), chaired by William H. Brown III, concluded that Mayor Goode, Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor, and Fire Commissioner Richmond were "grossly negligent" and that the decision to drop the bomb was "unconscionable." However, no criminal charges were brought against city officials. A federal civil rights investigation also produced no criminal charges.<ref name="move"/>

Ramona Africa was convicted of riot and conspiracy and served seven years in prison—the only person criminally punished for events that killed eleven people. The disparity between outcomes for MOVE members and city officials remains a source of controversy.<ref name="move"/>

=== Neighborhood Destruction ===

The 61 destroyed homes left hundreds of residents homeless. City efforts to rebuild the homes were plagued by corruption and incompetence, resulting in poorly constructed replacements that required subsequent repair. Some former residents never returned. The destroyed neighborhood became a symbol of the city's failure to address the disaster's consequences.<ref name="move"/>

== Legacy ==

The MOVE bombing remains Philadelphia's most traumatic modern event, raising questions about race, policing, and accountability that continue to resonate. The bombing occurred in a Black neighborhood, and the decision to drop a bomb on a residential block reflected racial dynamics that critics argue would never have applied to a white neighborhood. The lack of accountability for officials reinforced concerns about unequal justice.<ref name="move"/>

In 2020, controversies emerged regarding the handling of victims' remains by the city and the University of Pennsylvania, renewing attention to the event. Mayor Jim Kenney formally apologized, and the city established a MOVE-related reparations program.<ref name="move"/>

== See Also ==
* [[Philadelphia Police Department]]
* [[West Philadelphia]]
* [[Civil Rights in Philadelphia]]

== References ==
<references />

{{#seo:
|title=MOVE Bombing 1985 - Philadelphia's Tragic Police Assault
|description=The 1985 MOVE bombing was a Philadelphia police assault that killed 11 people and destroyed 61 homes, becoming one of the most controversial law enforcement actions in U.S. history.
|keywords=MOVE bombing, Philadelphia 1985, police brutality, Wilson Goode, Osage Avenue, civil rights
|type=Article
}}

[[Category:History]]
[[Category:20th Century]]
[[Category:Civil Rights]]
[[Category:Law Enforcement]]
[[Category:West Philadelphia]]