MOVE Bombing In Philadelphia Remembered Via New Permanent Exhibit

PHILADELPHIA — In 1985, Philadelphia police dropped a bomb on a home in West Philadelphia where the members of the black liberation MOVE group were holed up.

Eleven people, including five children, died as a result of the bombing and dozens of people were displaced due to the ensuing fire.

And on Tuesday, the City of Philadelphia unveiled a new exhibit entitled Remembering MOVE: May 13, 1985 about the history of the 1985 bombing on Osage Avenue.

The permanent exhibit, created by the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, uses documentary photography and other sources to present the complex history of the MOVE bombing and remind all the destructive event and its victims.

"My hope is that Remembering MOVE will inspire civic dialogue about Philadelphia’s controversial past and strive to prevent such a tragedy from happening again," Mayor Jim Kenney said.

More than 120 public documents, including reports, news articles, videos, books, and biographies were used to develop the exhibit, from sources including the Charles L. Blockson Afro American Collection, Temple University Libraries; The Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries; The Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel University; The City of Philadelphia, Department of Records – City Archives; the Jubilee School; and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

"Remembering MOVE is a snapshot of what happened on May 13, 1985, and the key events that led to it," said Managing Director Tumar Alexander. "We are not a museum, but within our capacity, we’ve created an informative exhibit, through publicly available non-biased sources."

"The exhibit content comes from a host of sources and reflections, including some from people who were directly involved," said Tu Huynh, Program Manager of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

Remembering MOVE is in response to an independent report by Dechert LLP and Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads LLP made public in June 2022 recommending that the City make a concerted effort to educate Philadelphians about the bombing.

"It is by keeping this important history alive that together, we can ensure history does not repeat itself," said Kelly Lee, Chief Cultural Officer for the City of Philadelphia and Executive Director of the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy.

The permanent exhibit is located in the lobby of the Municipal Services Building, 1401 John F Kennedy Boulevard, and can be viewed during operating hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

To schedule a tour, email OACCE at arts@phila.gov.