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MOVE: Untangling the Tragedy

MOVE: Untangling the Tragedy

By: Temple University and The Philadelphia Inquirer
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On May 13th, 1985 the Philadelphia Police Department dropped a bomb on the home of MOVE, a Black-led back-to-nature group in West Philadelphia. The bomb and its fiery aftermath killed 11 people including 6 children. It destroyed 61 homes and left 250 people homeless.


Reporter Linn Washington has covered MOVE for more than 50 years. He weaves us through the tangled story of a cult-like leader, desperate neighbors, brutal cops, and a city torn apart

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Temple University Politics & Government True Crime World
Episodes
  • The Aftermath

    The Aftermath
    May 27 2025

    In the wake of the May 13th bombing, the City of Philadelphia holds a series of hearings to determine how an attempted arrest caused such profound destruction. We speak to former Mayor Wilson Goode on his own role on that day. MOVE continues to make headlines with allegations of child abuse within the organization, and people are still arguing over the identity of the youngest victims’ remains, some of which Penn Museum only recently acknowledged it still possessed. Mike Africa Jr., the new head of MOVE and Pam Africa, tells us where MOVE is today: a fractured group that still pushes its message.


    MOVE: Untangling the Tragedy is a production of Temple University Klein College's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting and The Philadelphia Inquirer.Sound design, scoring, mixing and mastering by Rowhome Productions.Check out new and archival stories about Move on The Philadelphia Inquirer website.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    37 mins
  • The Bomb

    The Bomb
    May 20 2025
    Former Philadelphia Daily News reporter Linn Washington takes us through his memories of May 13th, 1985, as police use everything in their arsenal to remove MOVE from their Philadelphia headquarters. The attempted eviction culminates in the dropping of a bomb on MOVE’s rowhouse, sparking a fire that killed 11 MOVE members — five of them children — and destroyed 61 homes in Philadelphia.
    MOVE: Untangling the Tragedy is a production of Temple University Klein College's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting and The Philadelphia Inquirer.Sound design, scoring, mixing and mastering by Rowhome Productions.Check out new and archival stories about Move on The Philadelphia Inquirer website.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    30 mins
  • The Standoff

    The Standoff
    May 13 2025

    The City of Philadelphia tries to evict MOVE from their Osage Avenue headquarters. As neighbors evacuate the block, former Inquirer reporter Maida Odom and former NBC10 photojournalist Pete Kane stay behind to tell the story. We follow Maida and Pete as they watch police prepare to remove MOVE from their rowhome by any means necessary.


    MOVE: Untangling the Tragedy is a production of Temple University Klein College's Logan Center for Urban Investigative Reporting and The Philadelphia Inquirer.Sound design, scoring, mixing and mastering by Rowhome Productions.Check out new and archival stories about Move on The Philadelphia Inquirer website.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
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