MAY 13, 1985 — OSAGE AVENUE, PHILADELPHIA

MOVE.
BIRDIE AFRICA.
MOVE.

A Screenplay by Byron Edward Curran  ·  RWSFilms

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Opening Statement

It has been days
since the City of Philadelphia
dropped a bomb on its own people.

The distance between that event
and what is happening now
is nothing.

10,000

Rounds of ammunition fired at a residential home

The house was still standing.

What Happened Next

The City of Philadelphia dropped a bomb
on a residential neighborhood.

61 homes burned to the ground.
250 people were left homeless.
11 people died.

Five of them were children.

Accountability

No city official was charged.
No police officer was charged.
No fire official was charged.

The one person charged
was Ramona Africa.
A MOVE survivor.

She served seven years.

October 2022 — Death certificates reclassified

HOMICIDE

They had names

John Africafounder
Rhonda Africaadult
Frank James Africaadult
Theresa Africaadult
Conrad Africaadult
Tree Africa14
Delisha Africa12
Netta Africa12
Little Phil Africa13
Tomaso Africa9
Raymond Africaadult

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is not a story about radicals.
This is not a story about confrontation.

This is a story about what an American city
did to its own people.

And what took thirty-seven years to say out loud.

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