New MOVE bombing exhibit marks 39 years since tragedy

Driving the news: MOVE will hold a day of remembrance at 5pm at the corner of S 63rd Street and Osage Avenue.

• The MOVE organization is marking the anniversary this week with its first exhibit at the Paul Robeson House & Museum in West Philly.

Zoom in: "MOVE: The Old Days" will feature archives and artifacts maintained by the group over the decades, including writings, items that survived the bombing and photos.

• The exhibit runs Saturday and Sunday. Tickets: $13.

Context: On May 13, 1985, hundreds of officers laid siege to MOVE's rowhouse at 6221 Osage Avenue after a violent confrontation between cops and group members.

• Police fired more than 10,000 rounds of ammunition in under 90 minutes.
• Despite knowing about children inside, police dropped a bomb made of C-4 explosives on the house — with approval from city officials.
• Law enforcement allowed the resulting blaze to burn out of control for over an hour.

• Two people survived the bombing — Ramona Africa, 29, and Birdie Africa, 13. (Members of the group all took the same last name.)

No one was ever criminally charged.

• That's despite a scathing report from an independent city commission that found police and top city officials used "grossly negligent" tactics.

What they're saying: "I hope people see what happened and use this history as an understanding so they can make change," Michael Africa, Legacy director of MOVE, tells Axios about the exhibit.