CCP Commemorates 40 Years Since MOVE Bombing

Community College of Philadelphia hosted a daylong symposium on May 13, 2025, an annual day of reflection and commitment declared by the Philadelphia City Council, that brought together members of the community to reflect on the 40th anniversary of the 1985 MOVE bombing. The event gave space for scholars, journalists, artists, activists and cultural leaders from throughout Philadelphia to engage with questions of commemoration and collective understanding.

The day opened with an introduction from Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, who represents West and Southwest Philadelphia as the City Councilmember for the Third District. Then programming kicked off with a panel discussion titled, “First Draft of Memory,” featuring four journalists who reported on the MOVE bombing in 1985, moderated by Ernest Owens, an award-winning journalist and adjunct instructor at CCP. During this session, panelists Barbara Grant, Larry Eichel, Larry Litwin and Pete Kane shared their respective stories and experiences from May 13, 1985. Barbara, Larry Litwin and Pete all reported live during the event, some of them having to seek shelter under their news vans to avoid shots being fired prior to the bombing itself. Barbara recalled police, “systematically [moving] the reporters back so that [they] couldn’t see what was really going on at Osage avenue.” The panel discussion also covered what the media landscape looked like in Philadelphia at the time of the bombing.

The second panel, “Gatekeepers of Memory,” was moderated by David Brown, associate professor and assistant dean for Community and Communication, Klein College, Temple University, and included Josué Hurtado, coordinator, Public Services and Outreach for the Special Collections Research Center at Temple; Dr. Krystal Strong, assistant professor of Black Studies in Education, Rutgers University–New Brunswick; Brother Shomari, activist and educator; and Jason Osder, associate professor, School of Media and Public Affairs, The George Washington University. This discussion centered around storytelling, story sharing, and the ethics and biases around archival work. Panelists talked about the word “gatekeeper” and how it could infer limiting information instead of making materials accessible to all; and they discussed how technology is changing how stories are told, who tells them, and how they are recorded. During the panel, Dr. Krystal Strong posed the powerful question, “How do we tell an authentic story, one that tells the story of the people that were murdered by the state? How do we do that if the only records that are at our disposal are the ones of the state that did it?”

The event’s keynote speaker, Mike Africa Jr., engaged the audience in a call and response activity where he clapped in rhythm followed by the audience chanting, “hard work.” Mike is the author of On a Move and star of the HBO documentary, “40 Years a Prisoner.” Mike was born in a jail cell and freed his innocent parents, Mike and Debbie Africa, from 40 years of incarceration. Mike was joined on stage for a portion of the talk by his father-in-law, Mo Africa. Both Mike and Mo spoke to the importance of remembering how this event effects every Philadelphian and every American, and how essential the fight for justice is in this country.

The final panel of the day, “Siting/Sighting Memory,” was moderated by Monica O. Montgomery, founder and president of DiasporaDNA Story Center, and included panelists Karen Falcon, principal of the Jubilee School; Dr. Ashley Jordan, president and CEO, African American Museum; and Dr. Kerry Sautner, president and CEO, Eastern State Penitentiary. The closing panel discussed how interpretive spaces engage questions of memory and meaning-making—and what their responsibilities are in shaping public understanding of the past. Their conversation centered around commemorating challenging moments in history and the necessity to make these events known so a better future can exist. Karen Falcon was joined on the panel by a student of hers who worked with a group of his peers to apply for and secure a historical marker at the site of the MOVE bombing.

The day wrapped up with the insights and ideas of Rev. Jacqueline (Jackie) Newsome, Esq., a preacher, attorney, and organizer committed to fighting for the freedoms of guilty people. Rev. Jackie Newsome urged the audience to consider ways in which everyone can help repair, rework and protect their communities to extinguish future atrocities like the MOVE bombing and to build a better world for all.

This symposium was organized by CCP’s vice president for Enrollment Management and Strategic Communications, Dr. Shannon Rooney and her colleague, Dr. Abigail Perkiss, a professor of History at Kean University. In addition to this event, the College also hosted the “40 Years: MOVE Activist Archive Exhibit,” at the Library and Learning Commons. The exhibit grappled with the events leading up to the tragic bombing, its aftermath and the ongoing fight for the truth and justice. The exhibit was curated by Mike Africa Jr. and Dr. Krystal Strong.