On a Move by Mike Africa Jr. with D. Watkins

 

Ten of us met on October 3rd to discuss On a Move: Philadelphia’s Notorious Bombing and a Native Son’s Lifelong Battle for Justice by Mike Africa Jr. with D. Watkins. MOVE was founded in 1972 by Vincent Lopez Leapheart, known to his family as Benny, and later taking the name John Africa. John Africa taught that all of life is sacred: human lives, animal lives, the environment, even water. He promoted a back to nature lifestyle and advocated aggressively fighting “The System,” through constant protests and disruptions.  

Mike Africa Jr. Was born and raised in the MOVE Organization. He was born in a jail cell and his biological parents both spent almost all his life in prison. The MOVE lifestyle was to raise the children communally so he was extremely close to the five children and six adult MOVE members who were killed May 13, 1985, when the City of Philadelphia dropped a bomb on the residential neighborhood that housed MOVE. 

Mike Africa Jr. (Facebook photo)

Nancy: I know chronologically this took place later than I was coming of age. It felt very familiar to me, but I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn’t the 60s or 70s…I was mostly caught up in the trauma, especially for the children. I found that it was heartbreaking. I was really moved by the relationships between the people in MOVE. When Mike got people out of jail, especially his parents, it was powerful and wonderful. For people to have the capacity for relationships after all they went through is rare.” 

Mike Africa Jr.'s Parents Reunited (Instagram Photo)

Ann: “I was impressed with the author’s complexity and his resilience given all he had gone through. He was able to look at things in a very honest way. Some of his words are very critical of MOVE and some are very supportive.” 

Judy: “I’m old enough to remember this very well and how shocking it was that the government dropped a bomb on its own citizens. It was a big deal. Mike Africa Jr. was very even-handed in his narrative. I had no idea at the time what MOVE was all about. The structure of MOVE and the relationships rescued him. He is incredibly impressive. I had no idea that MOVE still exists. Back then we considered it a cult. John Africa wrote the guidelines even though he struggled with reading. I want to know what they’re up to. Now Philadelphia has become a mecca where young people go, do they even know about this? The people in MOVE are very impressive.” 

Millie: “Like you, I was alive at the time, but I was shocked. I compared it with Minneapolis. The causes, John Africa was prescient.” 

Kai: “I was not shocked by the bombing. I grew up in Chicago. I lived in Alaska. There were attacks because the powerful wanted to clear certain neighborhoods, especially neighborhoods by the lake. They would do things like sabotaging and when that wouldn’t work, they went to low-key bombing. I’m bringing this up because we can be shocked, but this is the mode of operation. There were three villages destroyed in Alaska.  Whenever there is a time when people in power fill that you’ve become a thorn in their paw, they will come after you.  This organization was not unlike other community programs that had been set up. Even though religion was frowned on they called the natural world “Mother.” I admire the writer. I thought he did a very good job. Benny had dyslexia, but he loved learning. Benny didn’t have any organizational skills. His message got gargled. He couldn’t expand on it because he began to be fearful. But at first, they really wanted to make a difference in the community.” 

Shelara: I wasn’t surprised that the government bombed MOVE. The government had bombed Tulsa. The system is so corrupt that it’s a wonder that people don’t go crazy. I disagree with Kai, MOVE wasn’t doing anything for the community. They were pretty self-contained. The Black Panthers were a group that had set up free breakfast programs and medical services; MOVE wasn’t really community serving. Philadelphia was a terribly racist city. Benny couldn’t read, so he didn’t feel the need for anyone to read. Mike’s sister Whit had been damaged by the organization. Everyone keeps saying that the bombs killed the kids, but the truth is the kids were shot, running out of the door from the tear gas. Men paid with our tax dollars shot down little children. In the context of the American experience, MOVE members using profanity pales in comparison to be living in such a profane country.  I will say I believe it’s a cult. People do write things off by calling a group a cult, but I think two things can be true at the same time. And like all cults, the people follow the leaders. I look at Mike Africa Jr., but you can tell his sister Whit has a lot of issues. Mike Africa Jr came out all right, but the other children were damaged. They bombed the building, but they shot the children as they were running out of the house. These children (pointing to the picture of the children in the book) were shot. Even saying the word “bombed” is a cover. Grown men with guns who are paid by our tax dollars murdered these kids.” 

p.165 “They rushed through heavy dark clouds of smoke toward the back of the house, where the garage was the only exit. Conrad, carrying Tomaso, kicked the garage door open and was greeted by gunfire. 

Tomaso was hit multiple times in the chest right away. Conrad retreated through the smoke to hand Tomaso’s limp body to Rhonda, and then forced his way back out toward the firing officers, only to be shot in the head... 

The kids Tree, Netta, Delisha, and Little Phil ran out of the house, using the door Conrad had kicked open. All four children were shot by police when they came out of the house.” 

Marian mentioned the profanity in the book. The profanity is the fact that the state shot kids and bombed a neighborhood. This country is profane. In the context in the American experience, what’s profane is all the evil the government does, they want you to believe in this fairytale.” 

Janice: “I was not familiar with this story. I think Mike Africa Jr. is brilliant, especially for him to have had the experiences he had. What struck me most is that there are these organizations. What would draw you to a cult? Such a small organization had such a dedicated group of followers, who didn't allow their children to be educated, to let their children run around barefoot and eat raw food, to be shipped off to Virginia. It just really made me wonder what was it about these people that made them so desperate in their lives that they would join a cult, especially after it was evident that the government could get way more violent. I couldn't imagine putting my child in harm's way like that.” 

Shelara: “I think the people were desperate for a sense of belonging. Marginalized people are open to someone coming and giving an alternative way to survive in this system. It made me think about Jim Jones. He started out as a champion for civil rights. People winded up following him to another country and ended up being forced to drink poison. Some of his initial followers may have had some mental health issues.” 

Bonnie: “Mike Jr. Begged to go to school. His dad, Mike Sr., received his high school diploma, and college diploma from Villanova University that he earned while incarcerated.”  Bonnie also pointed out that Benny was very sexist and anti-LBGTQ. P.27 “Benny considered anything other than heterosexuality as antilife. In later years, some people left MOVE because of this. Benny simply saw it as part of the weeding out process.” 

Bonnie further mentioned the possibility that as a child, Mike Jr. Could've felt some resentment about his mother not being there for him. P. 177 ‘...Mom had a chance to be home with me and Whit. When she was arrested, she could have renounced MOVE and come home. Instead, she pledged her loyalty to Benny and lost her one chance to raise us.” 

Maria: Just as with the cult called the Branch Davidians in Waco, the government’s answer to handling dissidents is just to kill them. It’s not hopeless though: There was a time when the state of Connecticut allowed the death penalty. The League of Women Voters got together and lobbied. Now there is no death penalty. Change is possible. Citizens can get things changed.” 

Shelara retorted, “We can get change, but the change is always rolled back. I can’t afford to trust that people are going to do the right thing. Nobody gets held accountable.” 

Kai, answering Shelara, said,” Things do change, but the change falls back because the opposition is always working hard to undo the change. But as a person who has lived in other countries, I still believe I have a voice here, though it may be small, and I have an opportunity to teach others and be around to push others to have a greater voice. 

In the epilogue of On a Move, Mike Africa Jr. Wrote: For me, I see great value in inspiring people to resist injustice. You don’t have to be a MOVE member to do that. But you certainly can be. It’s the path I’ve chosen and will continue to choose. Because I know the only way to get anything done is to get On a Move.