Tag: city of Philadelphia

The MOVE Organization held a news conference earlier this week to provide an update on the health of its Minister of Communications Ramona Africa. She is the sole survivor of the May 13, 1985, MOVE Massacre. Ramona was unjustly charged and convicted of riot and conspiracy, and served seven years in prison. Ramona has been gravely ill for the past few months. Ramona’s despicable insurance company is throwing her out of the hospital in a few days. Please help so she can survive, heal and regain her strength at home. A Go Fund Me account has been established. Please help.

Mumia Abu-Jamal’s eighth book written from prison cells in the state of Pennsylvania, USA, is a selection of 107 essays that date from January 1982 to October 2014. They cover practically the entire period of his incarceration as an internationally recognized political prisoner. Most of the pieces were written while he was on death row after being framed for the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner on Dec. 9, 1981, in the city of Philadelphia.

Why should we care what happened on May 13th, 1985? Because what happened then is a harbinger of what’s happening now – all across America. I don’t mean bombing people – not yet, that is. I mean the visceral hatred and violent contempt once held for MOVE is now visited upon average people – not just radicals and revolutionaries, like MOVE. A free screening of “Let the Fire Burn,” the documentary on the police bombing of MOVE in Philadelphia, takes place on the 30th anniversary of the bombing, Wednesday, May 13, 7-10 p.m., at Omni Oakland Commons.