MOVE Through A Black Anarchist Perspective

Before the city of Philadelphia dropped a bomb on a Black neighborhood, MOVE spent over a decade building one of the most uncompromising radical organizations in American history. Founded by John Africa in the early 1970s, MOVE combined Black liberation politics with a sweeping critique of modern civilization — technology, education, government, and "the system" itself. In this episode, we trace MOVE's arc from their communal house in Powelton Village to the 1978 standoff that sent nine members to prison, to the catastrophic 1985 bombing that killed 11 people and burned down 61 homes. Along the way, we wrestle with hard questions: What made MOVE so compelling — and so controversial? What does the state's response tell us about the limits of Black radical organizing? And what do we do with organizations that cause harm while also facing tremendous repression?

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro & How did you first learn about MOVE?

11:17 MOVE's origins: John Africa, *The Guidelines*, and life in Powelton Village

23:20 The 1978 Powelton Village standoff, the MOVE 9, and the road to the 1985 bombing

29:08 The complicated history: internal conflict, harm allegations, and neighbor relations

29:35 MOVE's beliefs, the GUIDELINES, and how they organized day-to-day

37:15 Discussion: Is being disruptive or playing the "vanguard" actually useful in revolutionary movements?

40:20 Hierarchy, accountability, and how power worked (and didn't) inside MOVE

46:45 Allegations of harm within MOVE and Mike Africa Jr.'s role in the organization's legacy today

51:30 When is Black separatism a useful political strategy?

01:00:00 Outro