“Appalling and Unforgiving:” Penn Museum Condemned After 12-Year-Old MOVE Victim’s Remains Found
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A community is outraged after human remains connected to the 1985 MOVE bombing in Philadelphia were found at The Penn Museum.
According to the Daily Pennsylvanian, On Wednesday, Penn Museum announced the discovery in a published statement called “Towards a Respectful Resolution.”
In the statement, the museum said that while conducting an “ongoing comprehensive inventory of [the museum’s] biological anthropology section,” they found remains that matched the records of 12-year-old Delisha Africa.
“As we promised the Africa Family and our community in 2021, 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 said.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time bodies from MOVE were found in the possession of the museum.
In 2021, the Penn Museum held the remains of Katricia Dotson for more than 35 years until Penn was exposed in April 2021.
Civil rights attorneys Bakari Sellers and Daniel Hartstein, who represented Katricia’s brother, Lionell Dotson, said they were disgusted with Penn Museum after the recent findings of Delisha Africa’s remains.
“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 the even most basic level of respect and decency and this latest revelation is just the most recent in a long line of atrocities Black folks in America have had to live with,” Sellers and Hartstein said in a statement. “We are disgusted and disappointed but, unfortunately, we are not surprised.”
Previously, Delisha’s remains were in the custody of retired anthropology professor Alan Mann, who received them from the city for identification purposes. According to the Daily Pennsylvanian, her remains were examined by students to determine the age and were transferred back and forth between Penn and Princeton for over 35 years.
“The damage Penn has done is absolutely appalling and unforgivable. It’s time they did the right thing so these children can finally rest in peace, said Sellers.”
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As previously reported by NewsOne, on May 13, 1985, a bomb was dropped on a row house in Philadelphia, unleashing a relentless fire that eventually burned down 61 homes, killed 11 people — including five children — and injured dozens more.
The fire department stood by idly. The Philadelphia Police Department did the same. The fire raged on, swallowing up home after home until more than 200 people were without shelter.
On that day, armed police, the fire department and city officials gathered at the house in an attempt to clear it out and arrest MOVE members who had been indicted for crimes like parole violation and illegal possession of firearms. When police tossed tear gas canisters into the home, MOVE members fired back. In turn, the police discharged their guns.
Soon, a police helicopter flew over the home and dropped two bombs on the row house. A ferocious blaze followed.
Witnesses and MOVE members say that when people started to run out of the burning structure to escape a fiery death, police continued to fire their weapons.
There was only one child survivor. His name is Birdie Africa, but it was later changed to Michael Ward. He ran out of the burning house naked and covered in flames.
SEE ALSO:
The MOVE Police Bombing: Never Forget The Time Cops Blew Up An Entire Philadelphia Neighborhood
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