ON A MOVE

The incredible story of MOVE, the revolutionary Black civil liberties group that Philadelphia police bombed in 1985, killing 11 civilians written by one of the few people born into the organization, raised during the bombing's tumultuous aftermath, and entrusted with repairing what was left of his family and building life anew.

Before police dropped a bomb on a residential neighborhood on May 13, 1985, few outside Philadelphia knew a Black-led peace organization had taken root there. Founded in 1972, MOVE's mission was to protect all forms of life from systemic oppression. But in MOVE's lifestyle and in their advocacy for civil rights and better living conditions for black Philadelphians, city officials saw a threat to the status quo. In 1978, MOVE clashed with the police, leading to the unjust imprisonment of nine members, including Mike's parents. Six years later, the city's bombing of their west Philly commune shocked the nation and made international news. In the bombing and the resulting fire that ravaged an entire city block, eleven people were killed, including five children. Among the surviving children most affected by the bombing was Mike Africa, Jr. Born in jail, Mike was six and living with his grandmother when the commune was bombed. In the ensuing years, Mike sought purpose in the ashes left behind. He studied law and learned how to speak and inspire public support with the help of other MOVE members. In 2018, at age 40, he finally succeeded in vindicating his parents and securing their release from prison. ON A MOVE is the first history of MOVE from someone within the organization. But it is not just a tragedy; it is also an unimaginable story of injustice and resilience. It is about coming-of-age as an activist, the strong ties of family, and, against all odds, learning how to take indignities on the chin and to work within the very system that created them. At once a harrowing memoir and an impassioned examination of racism and police violence, ON A MOVE testifies to the power of love and hope, in the face of astonishing wrongdoing. Mike Africa Jr. is a sought-after speaker, performer and writer who has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Salon, and The Guardian and he starred in the HBO documentary "40 Years a Prisoner." Mike Africa Jr. is a sought-after speaker and writer who has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and on NPR. He starred in the HBO documentary 40 Years a Prisoner and was featured in the Audible original docu-series about the MOVE bombing, Summer of '85, produced by Kevin Hart and Charlamagne tha God, and narrated by Hart. As a keynote speaker, Mike has been invited to speak everywhere from the Smithsonian and the University of Pennsylvania to the 55 Year Anniversary of the Black Panther Party.