Outrage over 1985 MOVE bombing victim’s remains found at Penn Museum

The discovery of human remains linked to the 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia at the Penn Museum has sparked outrage from activists, family members, and civil rights advocates. The remains, identified as belonging to 12-year-old Delisha Africa, were found during an ongoing inventory of the museum’s biological anthropology section, according to a statement released Wednesday.

In the statement titled “Towards a Respectful Resolution,” the museum explained that the remains were consistent with records for Delisha Africa, one of the children killed in the bombing. The museum assured the public that they are working to return the remains, just as they had promised to the Africa family and community in 2021.

“As we promised the Africa family and our community, we have acted with speed and transparency in returning the remains, and we will continue to do so with all human remains in our care,” the statement read.

This is not the first time the Penn Museum has faced controversy regarding its handling of MOVE bombing victims’ remains. In 2021, the museum was revealed to have kept the remains of Katricia Dotson for over 35 years, after they were sent to the museum by the city for identification. This latest discovery has reignited the anger of those seeking justice for the victims of the MOVE bombing.

Civil rights attorneys Bakari Sellers and Daniel Hartstein, who represent Lionell Dotson, Katricia’s brother, condemned the museum’s actions, describing them as part of a long history of disrespect toward the victims of the MOVE bombing and their families.

“For nearly 40 years, the City of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Penn Museum have refused to treat the MOVE bombing victims or their families with even the most basic level of respect and decency,” Sellers and Hartstein said in a joint statement. “This latest revelation is just another in a long line of atrocities Black Americans have had to endure. We are disgusted and disappointed, but unfortunately, not surprised.”

Delisha Africa’s remains were initially collected by retired anthropology professor Alan Mann, who received them from the city of Philadelphia to assist with identification. For more than 35 years, her remains were handled by researchers at both the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. Delisha’s remains were examined by students to determine her age and transferred back and forth between institutions without the family’s knowledge or consent.

“The damage Penn has done is absolutely appalling and unforgivable,” said Sellers. “It’s time they did the right thing so these children can finally rest in peace.”

The MOVE bombing, which took place on May 13, 1985, remains one of the most devastating events in Philadelphia’s history. Police, attempting to evict members of the radical Black liberation group MOVE from a row house in West Philadelphia, dropped two bombs on the home. The resulting fire killed 11 people, including five children, and destroyed 61 homes, leaving hundreds of Philadelphians displaced.

Critics have long contended that the city and police department were negligent, allowing the fire to rage for hours while doing little to stop it. Witnesses and MOVE members claim that as people fled the burning building, police continued to fire on them. Birdie Africa, later known as Michael Ward, was the only child survivor. He emerged from the burning building, severely burned and naked, a haunting image of the day’s horror.

The discovery of Delisha Africa’s remains has intensified calls for accountability and justice for the victims and their families. Advocates are urging both the Penn Museum and the City of Philadelphia to acknowledge the wrongs done to the MOVE community and address the systemic racism that allowed such atrocities to occur.

“The families of these victims have been denied justice for far too long,” said Hartstein. “This is a moment for the city and the university to take real responsibility and do what’s right for the survivors and the descendants of those who perished.”

As the Penn Museum moves to return Delisha Africa’s remains, the public’s focus is on ensuring that all the victims of the MOVE bombing are finally treated with dignity and respect, decades after the tragedy.