Browse Items (40 total)

Police Commissioner Sambor submitted his resignation in November of 1985 following the backlash against his actions in the MOVE bombing. At the time, he claimed that he was not being forced out of his position. However, just three months later in a…

Despite the title, the MOVE organization is not mentioned once in this review of Mayor Goode's first year in office. While the city had not had any significant clashes with MOVE in almost five years, the group had not gone away in the years following…

This article covers the tenure of controversial Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo as he began his campaign for Mayor. While Rizzo would ultimately win the election, he did it mainly through support of low and middle-income white Philadelphians. Under…

The New York Times published a long story about the bombing. This article not only discusses the bombing but also the immediate justifications for assaulting the compound and dropping the bomb. Despite an evident lack of planning, city officials did…

In 1988, the state of Pennsylvania took developing company Edwards and Harper to court for misappropriation of funds. Edwards and Harper was hired to rebuild the homes on Osage Avenue, but the construction was shoddy and the work in no way reflected…

Residents affected by the fire raised criticisms of the city's attempts to rebuild. Not only were they concerned that the new homes would not be up to standard, but also that they hadn't received much of the money raised by relief agencies. Clifford…

This New York Times article made public the findings of the Philadelphia Special Investigation Commission, a committee that had been created specifically to investigate the MOVE bombing. While concluding that the bombing was "excessive" and…

This New York Times article demonstrates how unprepared the city was to deal with the ramifications of the bombing, as well as major communication issues at the top level of city government. As the investigation was ongoing, Mayor W. Wilson Goode…

W. Wilson Goode and his wife, Velma, wave to supporters after he was elected Mayor of Philadelphia. Goode was the first African-American mayor in the history of Philadelphia. Given the turmoil of the Rizzo years, there was hope that Goode would show…

This is a collection of interviews done with various people associated with the MOVE bombing. Interviewees include Ramona Africa (a MOVE member and the only adult survivor of the May 1985 confrontation), Officer James Berghaier, Fire Commissioner…