Black activist Debbie Sims Africa overcame a decade of parole denials and finally received her freedom after serving nearly 40 years within Pennsylvania’s prison system.
Africa and eight other MOVE members were all jointly convicted of a policeman’s murder in 1978.
MOVE is a political organization founded in 1970s Philadelphia to protest rampant police brutality.
The officer died during a raid on MOVE’s residential headquarters, detailed in a recent workers.org article. Africa, now 61, is the first of the “MOVE 9” to be released.
“They don’t really want to be so quick to let people who are accused of killing a cop out on parole,” said Mike Africa Jr., Debbie’s son. “The parole board seems to be retrying them, asking them questions about the incident that seem to have nothing to do with the years they’ve spent.”
Africa and eight other MOVE members were all jointly convicted of a policeman’s murder in 1978.
MOVE is a political organization founded in 1970s Philadelphia to protest rampant police brutality.
The officer died during a raid on MOVE’s residential headquarters, detailed in a recent workers.org article. Africa, now 61, is the first of the “MOVE 9” to be released.
“They don’t really want to be so quick to let people who are accused of killing a cop out on parole,” said Mike Africa Jr., Debbie’s son. “The parole board seems to be retrying them, asking them questions about the incident that seem to have nothing to do with the years they’ve spent.”
Two of the MOVE 9, Phil and Merle Africa, have al- ready died in prison, while the other six continue to be denied parole in the face of constant opposition by The Fraternal Order of Police. The FOP holds positions on Pennsylvania’s Board of Probation and Parole and claims that members have “refused to accept responsibility,” “lacked remorse” or pose a “risk to community” as reasons to continue denying them.
MOVE arose in 1972 against the backdrop of all-out state campaigns targeting the Black Panther Party and other Black liberation groups. In May 1977, the police obtained a court order to force MOVE out of their home, resulting in a 15-month siege of the surrounding Powelton Village neighborhood.
MOVE arose in 1972 against the backdrop of all-out state campaigns targeting the Black Panther Party and other Black liberation groups. In May 1977, the police obtained a court order to force MOVE out of their home, resulting in a 15-month siege of the surrounding Powelton Village neighborhood.
Officers swarmed the house in the early morning of August 8, 1978, launching a full-scale assault with water cannons, tear gas and thousands of rounds of ammunition.
“We huddled together scared because we knew cops had lots of guns and other weapons,” Debbie recalled in a written account for onamove.com. “We didn’t know how they were gonna do it, but we knew their plan was to kill us.
“Cops were yelling over a loudspeaker for us to come out of the house, but we didn’t trust them, so nobody went out there.”
“We huddled together scared because we knew cops had lots of guns and other weapons,” Debbie recalled in a written account for onamove.com. “We didn’t know how they were gonna do it, but we knew their plan was to kill us.
“Cops were yelling over a loudspeaker for us to come out of the house, but we didn’t trust them, so nobody went out there.”
Debbie was 22 years old at the time of the attack, eight and half months pregnant with her son, Mike Jr., and in the house with her 23-month-old daughter, Michelle. After running for cover to the home’s basement, she described the police bombarding her family with a crossfire of powerful fire hose spray. The water broke through the windows, decimating wooden support beams, and killing their dogs.
Amidst the flurry of tear gas and smoke grenades, Michelle was ripped from her mother’s arms. Mike Jr. was born in a prison cell five weeks later.
Officer James P. Ramp suffered a gunshot wound to the back of his head during the melee. According to workers.org, although no physical evidence pointed to a MOVE member pulling the trigger, they were all convicted of third-degree murder and con- spiracy. Philadelphia police obliterated the entire MOVE residence following the raid, destroying any hope of find- ing exculpatory evidence.
Officer James P. Ramp suffered a gunshot wound to the back of his head during the melee. According to workers.org, although no physical evidence pointed to a MOVE member pulling the trigger, they were all convicted of third-degree murder and con- spiracy. Philadelphia police obliterated the entire MOVE residence following the raid, destroying any hope of find- ing exculpatory evidence.
Other Black revolutionaries continue to face tremendous difficulty in achieving parole, even after multiple decades of incarceration.
In 2016, 80-year-old former Black Panther Sundiata Acoli had been granted parole through a court order, but police unions and advocacy groups successfully challenged his release through higher court litigation, according to workers.org, Acoli’s sentence was extended 15 more years.
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/police-transparency/
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/revisiting-black-historys-national-movement/
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/optionb-org-support-group-overcoming-effects-incarceration/
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/san-quentin-news-world-travels/
In 2016, 80-year-old former Black Panther Sundiata Acoli had been granted parole through a court order, but police unions and advocacy groups successfully challenged his release through higher court litigation, according to workers.org, Acoli’s sentence was extended 15 more years.
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/police-transparency/
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/revisiting-black-historys-national-movement/
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/optionb-org-support-group-overcoming-effects-incarceration/
https://sanquentinnew.wpengine.com/san-quentin-news-world-travels/
