Summary
Highlights
Ramona Africa introduces herself as a survivor of the 1985 Philadelphia police bombing of the MOVE organization's home, which resulted in the deaths of 11 family members and ignited a city block. She questions the motives and justifications of the police action.
Ramona Africa shares her journey from a Temple University student aspiring to law school to becoming a revolutionary and joining the MOVE organization in 1979. She explains MOVE's philosophy of revolution, not through violence, but through systemic change.
Ramona discusses the unjust arrest and sentencing of the 'MOVE Nine' for the murder of a police officer, highlighting inconsistencies in the official narrative regarding the officer's death. She criticizes the media's portrayal of MOVE and former Mayor Rizzo's hostile stance towards the group.
Ramona describes the peaceful community life of MOVE on Osage Avenue, refuting claims of loud disturbances. She narrates the shocking invasion by hundreds of police on Mother's Day, May 12, 1985, leading to a standoff and tear gas deployment.
Ramona recounts the terrifying events of the bombing, including tear gas, water canons, and a direct bomb drop. She describes the ensuing inferno and her family's desperate attempts to escape, highlighting the police's deliberate prevention of firefighters from extinguishing the blaze.
Ramona details her escape with a child named Birdie, their immediate arrest, and her realization of the catastrophic loss of her family. She laments that nobody was held accountable for the deaths of 11 MOVE members, including five children, while she was unjustly imprisoned for arson.
Ramona reflects on the enduring physical and emotional scars from the bombing, and the continued governmental negligence in rebuilding the ruined homes. She emphasizes the importance of learning from MOVE's resilience and standing up for justice in the face of systemic oppression.