In his book, “On A MOVE: Philadelphia's Notorious Bombing and a Native Son’s Lifelong Battle for Justice,” Mike Africa Jr. discusses the history of the controversial organization MOVE and his efforts to lobby for his parents release from prison. The book offers a surprisingly unvarnished and personal look at the group founded by the author’s great uncle John Africa, an organization that Mike Africa, now MOVE’s leader, is working to take in a new direction.

Africa Jr. will discuss his book Monday, Nov. 11, in a talk with scholar/author Marc Lamont Hill at First United Methodist Church of Germantown (FUMCOG) as part of an author series produced by Hill’s Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books, also in Germantown.

In 1985, the West Philadelphia headquarters and home of the MOVE organization was bombed when Philadelphila police dropped a military-grade bomb on MOVE’s Osage Avenue house. The fire that followed was left to burn, killing 11 people, including five children. Sixty-one homes were razed across two blocks of a predominantly Black neighborhood. 

Africa’s parents, Debbie and Mike Africa Sr., were part of the organization and were convicted of being involved in a police shootout that killed Officer James Ramp in 1978. Africa’s parents, part of the MOVE 9 convicted in the killing, have always insisted they are innocent. Africa Jr.’s work to free those incarcerated began in 2016. His parents were eventually released on parole.

The conversation below was edited lightly for clarity and space.

Q: Your book was surprisingly objective. It’s not a totally sympathetic look a MOVE that one might expect.

A: My purpose was to tell the truth. I don’t think it does anyone any good to candy coat or pretend that everything was good when it really wasn’t. I think that if we are expected to make any changes, how can we bury our heads in the sand when it comes to issues within our own groups and organizations and families when problems arise. Everybody wanted to pretend that nobody did anything wrong, we were just at peaceful protests and were attacked for no reason at all. That wasn’t always the case. I wanted to make sure I talked about things as I understood them without trying to hide the blemishes.

Q: Is it a hard thing to get past the negative images and memories that most people have about MOVE, so they can see what MOVE started out to be?

A: Yeah, it’s tough because the mission of the organization I thought was very pure. And became diluted and overshadowed by the confrontations and skirmishes between MOVE and the police and (Frank) Rizzo and his antics. I think that was a deliberate tactic of the system so that people don’t really see why MOVE existed. Also MOVE members were young people. When you’re young, you can have all this energy, but you can be distracted because you don’t really have the wisdom yet to understand how to maintain your sights on your mission.

Q: The internal strife that was going on in MOVE for power, for leadership positions, did you feel comfortable sharing that?

A: To be honest with you, I knew a lot of my family members would be unpleased with some of the things I talked about and aired. I understand people wanting to protect family business, but MOVE is a very public organization that a lot of people looked to.

Q: A bold move on your part.

A: You ain’t lying. Because the same way MOVE members talked to the police, they talk to you that way, too.

Q: The story about your mom (Debbie Africa) and dad (Mike Africa Sr.) who were imprisoned along with other MOVE members (later known as the MOVE 9) for shooting death of Officer Ramp during the 1978 confrontation in Powelton Village, the work you did to get the parole process going to get them and other members out, was interesting.

A: When you go to the prison to see your mother, you’re always told to set a good example, right? So when I would visit her, she would always be on her best behavior. And me, I’m always on my best behavior. I’m always telling her the good things I’m doing to give her encouragement and vice versa. But once you’re home and that best behavior thing wears off, now you’re your natural self. You get to know each other in a way you didn’t know each other before.

We’ve learned the power of good communication. When your parents come home from prison after 40 years, you begin to learn how valuable that skill is. We have 127 years of marital experiences between the three couples (Africa Jr. and his wife Robin, his parents and his in-laws)  This is a side of MOVE that people don’t see, too. They think MOVE is a monolithic group of people that want to yell and scream at the police like we’re like the rap group NWA. Like we’re them. We’re just disgruntled, angry, whatever. 

But between the three couples we have 127 years of marital experience together and that is not something you gain just because you’re mad at the police or don’t like the system. There is a deep sense of love within MOVE that we have for each other -  despite the confrontation, despite the issues of resentment, despite the internal feuding. We really do love each other in a way that I’ve never seen anywhere else.

Q: What direction are you taking the group?

A: I’m taking it further than we’ve ever gone before. We’re talking about getting a curriculum for the Philadelphia School District about the history of MOVE. And I’m doing this thing with my team, MOVE Reimagined that looks at MOVE’s history and a glimpse of MOVE in the future. With me, Mike Africa Jr. at the helm, following behind the practical teachings of my great uncle and founder of MOVE John Africa, I want to move forward with a positivity while discarding impractical and at times disruptive behavior of the organization.

For tickets and information, visit unclebobbies.com/events. 

WHYY contributed to this report.