The Move Crisis in Philadelphia Term Paper

Exclusively available on IvyPanda Available only on IvyPanda

Introduction

In April 1985, father Paul Washington saw Mayor Wilson Goode in church one Sunday. “Have you had any dealings with MOVE recently?” the mayor asked Father Washington, “no I haven’t”, Father Washington replied. To avoid making the mistakes we made back in 1978, “I will have to proceed very cautiously and carefully”, Mayor Goode retorted. The mayor was referring to a long-drawn MOVE conflict back in 1978 that ended with a shoot-out resulting in the death of one policeman. (Hizkias Assefa)

We will write a custom essay on your topic a custom Term Paper on The Move Crisis in Philadelphia
808 writers online

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Move Crisis in Philadelphia. The assault on MOVE’s Osage Avenue headquarters by police started on May 13, 1985, was the most critical. In 90 minutes, 10, 000 rounds of ammunition from machine guns, automatic weapons, and antitank guns were fired. Eventually, all the mayhem culminated in a bomb dropped from a helicopter resulting in a fireball that reduced to ashes five members of MOVE and six children. 250 people were left homeless, 110 houses got destroyed while 61 homes were left smoldering. (Hizkias Assefa)

What kind of clash called for such kind of cruel retaliation? What made this conflict so unique compared to other group confrontations the police have had was the big question. What was MOVE? What mistakes was the city Mayor trying to avoid? Was there any correlation between the shoot-out in 1978 and the 1985 disproportionate response? Where there any other options the city could employ to resolve this conflict more amicably? Could this problem be solved with this kind of response, or could it resurface again? What fueled this conflict with a lot at stake each time? What can we learn from this clash and how best to handle similar ones in the future? (Hizkias Assefa)

Brief History about the Conflict

In Philadelphia, a radical, activist, counterculture organization was formed called MOVE, short for “The Movement”. The organization’s philosophical leader, as well as the founder, was John Africa whose real name was Vincent Leaphart. In the Powelton Village section of West Philadelphia, John Africa did carpentry work for a community housing cooperative. He was given a small house in the area in return for his services though he didn’t live there, instead kept his dogs in it according to a former MOVE member and niece. He had a trail of dogs behind him everywhere he went until people nicknamed him the Dog Man. So determined to protect all life, he never believed in feeding dogs out of a can. The money he made from taking care of rich people’s pets, he bought fresh meat for his dogs. Never having any need for technology, he used candles in his house; neither did he care about cars, clothes, or money. He gave away any money he got. (Hizkias Assefa)

A consistent, kind, and the sensitive person is the description that was accorded to John Africa. His love, exercise, strategies, diet, and everything else he did were consistent. He was unchanged always, did physical work, and was very strong with a deep powerful voice. Everyone was drawn to his best as he always made bad seem good. “He was the first man I have met who lives in complete harmony with what he believed in” is the description a white community college professor called Donald Glassey described John Africa. Glassey transcribed Leophart’s dictations into an 800-page typescript book, “The Guideline” after he met him. John Africa’s teachings and MOVE’s philosophy were set forth by this book. (Hizkias Assefa)

As put by one member, MOVE’s belief in life, natural law. According to “The Guideline,” MOVE stood against everything that is “unnatural” and “man-made.” Synonymous with God, life, natural law, making clean water, pure air, fertile soil, healthy babies, and equality of life without prejudices as well as the principle of freedom. MOVE believed and obeyed this law but never man-made laws. According to MOVE, it’s the so-called man-made law that has sanctioned and created the industries that pollute the air, cause retarded babies and diseased adults due to poisoned water as well as soil then covering up all this filth by lying to the people. For the love of money and trendy lifestyles, people easily compromise their health caused by pollution. (Hizkias Assefa)

The Historical Factors

MOVE served several purposes when it was formed, they included: Stopping industries from poisoning the soil, water, and air, stopping man’s system from imposing on life, putting an end to the enslavement of life, people, animals, as well as any form of life. To show people how corrupt, rotten, criminally enslaving this system is and it’s the cause of all their problems including drug addiction, alcoholism, unemployment, child pornography, child abuse, as well as wife abuse. These are some of the historical factors that MOVE tried to rectify. (Hizkias Assefa)

1 hour!
The minimum time our certified writers need to deliver a 100% original paper

The Ego, Policies, Decision Making, and Brutal Responses

The threat of police brutality, corrupt government, politicians, judges, prisons are some of the things that people were faced with daily. MOVE attempted to create a revolution as an example for everyone to follow. MOVE’s objective was to show people the imperativeness to fight the system and win. MOVE organization was based in an urban environment as its members believed the city was at the heart of the problem. MOVE members opined that moving to the country could only divert from the problem instead of correcting it as long as the city existed. Diversion is to overlook and overlooking a problem only lets it get bigger. If not stopped, the problem would spread. Therefore it was MOVE’s responsibility to put a stop to it. The city was once a country but due to the “sickness”, it is a city now. (Hizkias Assefa)

A group of John Africa’s relatives as wells friends used to gather in his house for “study sessions’ of “The Guideline” when the organization was founded. Before long the organization had both black as well as white people from diverse backgrounds attending the sessions. As a youth organizer in a black ghetto in Philadelphia, Delbert Africa, a Black Panther member had fled from Chicago. One day he met a MOVE member on the street and was very impressed with the clarity of example he was given as well as the surety of his knowledge. Delbert joined MOVE a year later as he thought “The Black Panthers never brought forth the true communist society they preached about. A personal revolution is what one had to start with. He realized that after having read the book. (Hizkias Assefa)

MOVE members were all attracted to the fact that they were all looking for answers despite coming from diverse backgrounds; some were ex-prostitutes, college students, career women, businessmen, registered nurses, and so forth. They found their answers once they had found MOVE. John Africa through MOVE had the answers to all their problems. The wisdom to understand the laws of life took them off drugs, cleaned up their mind and body, made them healthy, strong as well as giving them goodness. Once in MOVE, members talked about the positive changes they noticed in their lives. Looking for satisfaction was one of the reasons people got involved with MOVE. They felt at peace after joining the organization, learned to be contented with what they needed but not what they wanted. They felt they could confront the whole world head-on after becoming so strong and secure after joining MOVE. (Hizkias Assefa)

Africa was adopted as a surname for all MOVE members depicting they all belonged to one family. Like Rastafarians, they grew long hair which they wore in dreadlocks. As an extended family, some of them started living communally with a lot of sincerity and warmth. Opposition to modern technology reflected MOVE’s lifestyle. Any machinery or use of electricity was avoided. Heating houses, consuming processed food, or using soap was avoided. Fruits, vegetables as well as nuts made up their primary diet. Prescribed by “The Guideline”, babies were delivered the “natural way” at home. The word “cycle” was used to indicate life moved to another form after death instead of referring to it as “death.” (Hizkias Assefa)

Sexual relationships were prohibited outside marriage while marriage and family we strongly recommended among the members. Public schools were prohibited, instead, MOVE children were taught from “The Guideline.” It was argued that the system got itself in this mess because of reading and writing offered in public schools. But for MOVE, the natural ability to get things done under the natural law where there are no books or schools. People get to know how to do things the easy way once they get educated instead of working hard for them. Man has become weaker and weaker due to excessive technology dependence instead of depending on one’s himself. MOVE members leave most of the vegetable diet and fruit remains in their backyard to be “cycled” back to nature as they do not believe in disposing of their refuse the conventional way. Just the same as cats do, kids went to the bathroom outside, where a hole would be dug and then covered after use instead of using diapers. MOVE members kept as many as fifty to sixty dogs constantly cleaned. Members never used soap or deodorant due to the presence of chemicals in them. Their skins were made tough by wearing very little clothes. This made their skins very strong. (Hizkias Assefa)

Every member was both healthy and strong as they had a rigorous physical exercise schedule. Men could run 10 to 15 miles wearing backpacks packed with telephone books or bricks while the children woke up at 4:30 in the morning, took their bus to the park to do calisthenics, and run as well. In return for donations as a way to earn their livelihood, MOVE members washed cars on the street across from their headquarters. They shoveled snow for homeowners who sympathized with them during winter periods. Fruits and vegetables were also sold on the streets. They tolerated some members using technology though their philosophy denounced it. MOVE’s strategy was “to use technology to destroy technology” as some observers have indicated. To spread its message, it could use bullhorns that were electrically powered. (Hizkias Assefa)

The dedication to their beliefs was bound by the love given to them by John Africa, unlike the system that binds people through intimidation instead of love. Intimidation can never be accepted by anyone, but love is acceptable to everyone. Nobody wants to be freed from love, but everyone wants to be freed from intimidation. This was the main reason it was very hard to leave the love and security they got from John Africa the coordinator for MOVE. (Hizkias Assefa, 1990)

Remember! This is just a sample
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers

The Parties and the Conflicts

The social and political context

The Nixon and Watergate era in the early 1970s in the politically and socially polarized climate, MOVE evolved. The civil rights movement was surrounded by a great deal of unrest. Fresh in people’s minds or otherwise active were radical groups such as the Black Panther as well as the Symbionese Liberation Army. Projecting himself as a tough “law and order” former police commissioner Frank Rizzo became mayor in Philadelphia. During his tenure, there was no firearms policy that restricted officers on the appropriate use of weapons. This led to systematic civil rights abuses that led to accusations of police brutality by both blacks as well as liberals. (Hizkias Assefa)

Life-Style Conflict

An original white MOVE member, Donald Glassey bought a house on 3rd Street in Powelton Village in 1973 and invited other MOVE members to move in. shortly thereafter it was converted into their headquarters. This led to a conflict with their neighbors in Powelton due to their kind of lifestyle. The housing code violations, rat infestations, fecal odor as well as garbage infuriated their neighbors. The many unvaccinated dogs that MOVE kept in its residents became a health hazard concern for the outsiders. Child neglect was also raised as the children were scantily dressed during winter periods as well as not going to school. The way of living of their neighbors equally offended MOVE members. Their neighbors could play very loud music throughout the night, snort cocaine, and smoke marijuana half the night and they would end up fighting but MOVE never made any formal complaints to the authorities. (Hizkias Assefa)

MOVE members argued that despite their garbage creating the odor; it was not as dangerous to life as industrial pollution. MOVE members included, industrial pollution affected everyone and this made MOVE members feel they could not be dictated to about their lifestyle by their neighbors. The neighborhood conflict grew as neither side could convince the other. This led to confrontations with police that eventually lead to arrests of MOVE members. (Hizkias Assefa)

The turning point

MOVE members were celebrating for a group of their colleagues who had just been released from jail when a melee with the police became a turning point in the conflict in March 1976. Both the police as well as MOVE members suffered injuries. A six-week-old baby died in the melee. When another still-born baby was given as evidence for police brutality, nothing was done. (Hizkias Assefa)

This made John Africa change his none violent approach and decided that violence will be met with violence. On May 20, 1977, MOVE members barricaded their headquarters wearing uniforms and carrying guns for the first time after one of their members was evicted from a nearby apartment. The conflict intensified through shooting never took place. After that incident, MOVE members were arrested and convicted for arms possession. There was also increased police surveillance around their residential areas. (Hizkias Assefa)

Tactics Used By Both Parties

MOVE members were nonviolent and never used threats or violence to resolve the conflict initially, but when a six-week-old baby died in some of the police confrontations and another stillborn baby is given as evidence for police brutality and nothing was done, this made John Africa change his none violent approach and decided that violence will be met with violence. On May 20, 1977, MOVE members barricaded their headquarters wearing uniforms and carrying guns for the first time after one of their members was evicted from a nearby apartment. The conflict intensified through shooting never took place. After that incident, MOVE members were arrested and convicted for arms possession. There was also increased police surveillance around their residential areas. The police, on the other hand, was very brutal and they killed several MOVE members including children. When the conflict intensified, blockades have erected that cut off the MOVE members from accessing basic commodities such as food and water. Throughout the conflict, the police never negotiated with MOVE as they were looked upon as extremists. In an age when terrorism and hostage-taking are regular features on news, their questioning of traditional views on negotiation with “irrational” adversaries is especially important. Despite all this, in any conflict, several ways can be used to resolve the conflict. The potential to address the root problem can be achieved through negotiation and bargaining, though the success of this process is highly dependent on third-party intermediation without which, the success rate is diminished. Conflicts escalate when the feuding parties are left on their own as their communications are laced with messages that are full of threats, warnings, and bluffs, indirect, discrete, or even misinforming. There is always the fear of being perceived as weak if any of the parties make compromises or concessions. Also, there are limited solutions due to the lack of clean information from external sources that is untainted by prejudices, fears, suspicions, stereotypes, or hostilities of the conflicting parties. (Hizkias Assefa)

To rectify some of the shortcomings and incorporates many of the benefits, third-party intermediary intervention is a very effective conflict resolution method. The effectiveness of this method is based on the fact that it can address the root cause of the conflict, maintain independence in decision making as well as participation in the resolution process. Not only does the third-party intermediary method provide face-saving devices for concession and settlement but also helps filter distorted messages, translate misunderstood communication, encourage frank and open dialogue as well as expand the range of solutions. Through the creation of a forum wherein, the two parties can fairly and justly present their cases, the intervener can encourage commitment to the results of the negotiations. (Hizkias Assefa)

The Outcome of the Conflict

The outcome of the Move Crisis in Philadelphia is clear on one hand and unclear on the other. Events such as the Move Crisis in Philadelphia were important turning points in the future of the United States. While these were critical events, they, more importantly, represent symptoms of injustices as well as extremism in society. This crisis culminated in many several deaths as well as serious injuries. However, the police brutality that was experienced during the crisis has been addressed including basic human rights. Now there are better and more civil ways that are used to resolve such issues whenever they occur.

We will write
a custom essay
specifically for you
Get your first paper with
15% OFF

Winners

It can’t be said that the Move Crisis in Philadelphia had any winners. Based on current history and the massive loss of life that ensued since that fateful period, an outsider would argue that there were no winners in this conflict. It is certainly fair to say there were no long-term winners. Move Crisis in Philadelphia epitomizes the often uttered phrase “There are no winners in war, only variations of losers.”

Conclusion

The purpose of this paper was to explore the Move Crisis in Philadelphia. A special challenge did exist in this conflict. One of the parties was an extremist. Organizations or parties that advocate for extreme political, economical, or social system change can be very challenging for any intervener. When a total transformation of society was asked for through public rhetoric by MOVE, it was looked upon as an extremist. There remains a strong role for mediation despite the irreconcilable extreme views the parties might hold. To find ways to avoid violent confrontation and establish grounds for peaceful coexistence make mediators very useful in searching for common ground through interpreting and translating parties’ needs and interests. (Hizkias Assefa)

Students specializing in conflict resolution, in general, benefitted a lot from this study apart from those who were interested in the MOVE conflict. This study was quite informative as it not only highlighted the various mechanisms of dealing with a complex conflict but also the many aspects that come with it. It also brings to the fore the dynamics as well as the evolution of a conflict process. Apart from that, the study highlights how to approach different dispute resolutions, their benefits, the drawbacks, and the intricacies of handling conflicts where there is massive value as well as world-view differences between the parties. (Hizkias Assefa)

References

Hizkias Assefa, P. W. . Philadelphia. (2009). Web.

Print
Need an custom research paper on The Move Crisis in Philadelphia written from scratch by a professional specifically for you?
808 writers online
Cite This paper
Select a referencing style:

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, December 4). The Move Crisis in Philadelphia. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-move-crisis-in-philadelphia/

Work Cited

"The Move Crisis in Philadelphia." IvyPanda, 4 Dec. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-move-crisis-in-philadelphia/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'The Move Crisis in Philadelphia'. 4 December.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "The Move Crisis in Philadelphia." December 4, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-move-crisis-in-philadelphia/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Move Crisis in Philadelphia." December 4, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-move-crisis-in-philadelphia/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "The Move Crisis in Philadelphia." December 4, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-move-crisis-in-philadelphia/.

Powered by CiteTotal, automatic citation creator
If you are the copyright owner of this paper and no longer wish to have your work published on IvyPanda. Request the removal
More related papers
Cite
Print
1 / 1