Forty years removed, the MOVE bombing might seem like historical tragedy, relevant mainly to Philadelphia.

It is not. The MOVE bombing is a case study in patterns that continue today:

Pattern of Impunity: When government officials use excessive force resulting in death, criminal accountability is extraordinarily rare. From the MOVE bombing to contemporary police killings, the pattern holds: official investigations, public outrage, civil settlements—but almost never criminal prosecution.

Militarization of Police: The decision to drop military-grade explosives on a residential neighborhood was an extreme version of police militarization that has only accelerated. Today’s police departments routinely deploy armored vehicles, flash-bang grenades, and tactical gear in situations that don’t warrant such force.

Treatment of Black Dissent: MOVE was a radical organization, armed and confrontational. They were also a Black liberation group challenging white authority structures. The disproportionate response bombing rather than negotiation fits a historical pattern of how American institutions respond to Black radicalism, from COINTELPRO operations against the Black Panthers to modern surveillance of Black Lives Matter activists.

Failure of Reform: The Commission’s recommendations were clear and reasonable. They were ignored. This too is pattern: official reports document problems, recommend solutions, nothing changes. We study the same failures repeatedly without implementing fixes.

Community Destruction: The MOVE bombing didn’t just kill eleven people. It destroyed a neighborhood, displaced 250 families, and created generational trauma. This collective punishment of Black communities—where an entire neighborhood pays for alleged actions of a few, continues in aggressive policing strategies today.

The MOVE bombing is not ancient history. It’s a blueprint for understanding how institutional violence operates, how accountability fails, and how communities bear costs officials never pay.

What Happened to the MOVE 9

The 1985 bombing cannot be understood without the 1978 confrontation that preceded it. On August 8, 1978, police surrounded MOVE’s Powelton Village headquarters over outstanding warrants. A gunfight erupted. Officer James Ramp was killed; though circumstances remain disputed, with MOVE maintaining he was hit by police crossfire.

Nine MOVE members were arrested and charged with third-degree murder. All nine were convicted: Delbert Africa, Michael Africa, Janet Africa, Janine Africa, Debbie Africa, Phil Africa, Merle Africa, Chuck Africa, and Eddie Africa. Each received sentences of 30 to 100 years.

For context: typical sentences for third-degree murder in Pennsylvania run around 20 years maximum.

The MOVE 9 served among the longest sentences in state history for that charge. Most have now been released after serving over 40 years:

– Debbie Sims Africa – Released 2018 (40 years)
– Michael Davis Africa – Released 2018 (40 years)
– Janet Holloway Africa – Released 2019 (41 years)
– Janine Phillips Africa – Released 2019 (41 years)
– Charles Sims Africa – Released 2020 (41 years)
– Delbert Orr Africa – Released 2020 (42 years)

Two died in prison:

– Merle Austin Africa – Died 1998 (20 years into sentence)
– Phil Africa – Died 2015 (37 years into sentence)
One remains incarcerated:  Edward Goodman Africa is still in prison forty-seven years after the 1978 incident. He is now 72 years old with documented health issues. He has been denied parole multiple times. Supporters call his continued incarceration a death sentence.

The MOVE organization’s central demand throughout the 1980s was the release of the MOVE 9. The Osage Avenue house became a base for advocacy demanding their freedom. This context makes the 1985 bombing not just a police operation but retaliation for 1978—“finishing what was started,” as officials said.