Browse Items (40 total)

Ultimately, no city officials were ever charged with a crime for the bombing and the resulting fire. The grand jury that overheard the case used blistering language to condemn Mayor Goode, but voted not to file charges by an overwhelming majority.…

Despite reaching an agreement with the city about vacating the property they were using as headquarters, MOVE backed out of their end of the deal. Police arrived at MOVE's headquarters early in the morning of August 8, 1978 with the intent of…

The documentary Amateur Night at City Hall detailed Frank Rizzo's rise from deputy police commissioner to mayor of Philadelphia. This film accurately portrays the atmosphere that Rizzo created in the city. Most lower-class white Philadelphians…

This was a forum discussion at the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists conference in 2015. Included on the panel are individuals who had covered MOVE in the past. Linn Washington was a professor of journalism at Termple University and had…

The bombing made the front page of the New York Times the next day. In this article, author William K. Stevens gives a general overview of the history of the group as well as an account of the bombing. Steve Harmon, an Osage Avenue resident, said of…

This lengthy report by the County Investigating Grand Jury examines the history of MOVE and breaks down each of the decisions made on May 13, 1985. Much like the Special Investigation Committee, they decided that no criminal act was committed, but…

In 2010, the local newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer put together a series of interviews about the MOVE bombing. Here, police officers, city officials, and a member of MOVE all recall the events of May 13, 1985. Some footage from the confrontation…

While not a member of MOVE, Mumia Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook) was a Philadelphia native and member of the Black Panther Party. He was a critic of Philadelphia Police and their treatment of MOVE members, particularly following the arrests of the MOVE…

In this detailed report, the Special Investigation Commission laid out the facts of the incident as well as their findings and recommendations for the future. While they condemned the actions of Mayor Goode, Commissioner Sambor, and Commissioner…

An aerial view of the burned out rowhouses, taken the day after the fire. Osage Avenue is visible in between the ruins. The aerial view captures the totality of the destruction. City officials scrambled to rebuild the destroyed property. Goode…