In the past few days, many people have been deeply moved by hearing the voice of June’s father, Oom Harrison. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Oom twice in the past few weeks, and one thing that was striking in those conversations, and in conversations I’ve had with many other former MOVE members and supporters, is the compartmentalization of information within MOVE. Things that seemed like common knowledge within the Organization to me were completely unknown to some members, and experiences of other supporters or members were foreign to me. This characteristic of MOVE is well-designed and absolutely intentional.
All cults seem to develop their own language systems and idiosyncratic ways of using otherwise common words. Within MOVE one of those words is “activity.” Upon first encountering MOVE it seems like the word is being used in a fairly typical way, but after being around a while one begins to pick up on the more specific use of the word. Within MOVE everything is referred to as an activity. In some ways this functions to separate the actor from the action. For example, a relationship can be an activity, which means that it is not the priority or object of meaning, it’s something in service of the larger MOVE-oriented mission. If a relationship with someone is merely an activity then it’s unimportant if the relationship fails because it was merely an activity that is part of MOVE’s work.
The word “activity” also signals an action that a MOVE member or supporter is asked to take by leadership that no other MOVE member, supporter, or “system person” (anyone outside of MOVE) should know about. When Maiga and I were sent to flier John Gilbride’s apartment complex on September 20th, 2002 (less than a week before he was murdered) with fliers making terrible and false allegations against him, that was this type of activity. As I’ve talked to other supporters and members about that event, none of them knew that it had even occurred. Many were completely in the dark about that aspect of the custody case (the character assassination and intimidation element). However, all of these members and supporters had dozens if not hundreds of similar stories of things that they were told to do that they were never supposed to tell anyone else about. These private directives uniformly come from leadership within MOVE. Since the late 1980s, those “activities” have been assigned by Ria and Bert, and before 1985 they were assigned by John Africa.
This internal secrecy within MOVE is mirrored by a similarly deceptive external image. Since Maiga and I have begun writing so publicly about our experiences within MOVE, many people who have known us at that time have remarked that they had no idea about that aspect of our lives. This is common throughout the Organization and is by design. Though I was a true believer from 1999-2007 I was never encouraged to adopt many of the signifiers that would have let outsiders know exactly how dedicated I was to MOVE’s belief. For groups like MOVE, it pays to have a certain percentage of devoted members who appear to be a bit more on the periphery. In this way, they are more relatable to outsiders and can advocate for the group without being perceived as mere proselytizers.
In the early days of MOVE, it was very common for married MOVE members to pretend to be single in order to pull in those who may be attracted to them. This practice has persisted to the present day but is less common than it was in the ‘70s and early ‘80s. This is one of a few reasons why MOVE members are discouraged from publicly acknowledging that they are married or who they’re married to. There have also been many people who were made members of MOVE by John Africa, but who were strategically told not to acknowledge their membership publicly. These people were assigned various “activities” and some became attorneys or took on other professional jobs, while privately doing the bidding of MOVE’s leadership.
MOVE is a shapeshifter and takes on whatever form it needs in order to achieve its goals. For me, MOVE was the idealistic, revolutionary, communal group that Mumia beautifully portrays in “Death Blossoms.” I think this is who MOVE has been for him. This is the version of MOVE that most of us came to know and support. However, there are many other sides of MOVE, and one of them is addressed in the letter sent by Ramona Africa to Steven Spielberg in October of 1988. This letter was mysteriously found in John Gilbride's possessions after he was murdered. It was posted on the "Murder at Ryan's Run" Facebook here, I’ve also posted the entire letter in Ramona’s handwriting here, and have also typed out the entire letter below.
This letter is worth a very careful read. In Episode 2 of “Murder at Ryan’s Run,” “A is for Anarchism,” Birdie’s father, Andino Ward, says that Steven Spielberg backed out of a movie about Birdie because he “wasn’t brave enough.” This letter answers the question, “Why?” In this letter, we’re introduced to “M-1.” In the letter Ramona has this to say about M-1: “M-1 WILL ALSO BE WATCHING YOU, M-1 WILL BE MONITORING YOUR PORTRAYAL OF THE MOVE ORGANIZATION IN THIS MOVIE YOURE PRODUCING. M-1 IS A HIGHLY SKILLED, EXPERTLY TRAINED CORE OF REVOLUTIONARIES ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO WATCHING OVER THE MOVE ORGANIZATION. M-1 HAS DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO REVOLUTION, M-1 DOES NOT TALK OR REASON, THEY ACT, THEY EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH ANY OBSTACLES PUT IN THE REVOLUTION’S PATH. MOVE HAS NO CONTACT WITH M-1, WE DON’T EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES AS THEY DONT MAKE CONTACT WITH US, ITS NOT NECESSARY. M-1’S ACTIVITY IS TO PROTECT MOVE AND THEY CARRY THIS ACTIVITY OUT WITH STRATEGIC EXPERTISE, AS ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HURT THIS ORGANIZATION ARE BEING EFFECTIVELY DEALT WITH. I’M TELLING YOU THIS NOT TO THREATEN YOU OR SCARE YOU SPIELBERG AS MOVE MEMBERS DONT BELIEVE IN THREATS, WE DONT PUT OUR ENERGY IN THE USELESS IMPOTENCY OF THREATS - THEY HAVE NO PURPOSE. MOVE IS MAKING YOU AWARE OF M-1 NOW SO YOU REALIZE THE POSITION YOU WILL PUT YOURSELF IN IF YOU CHOOSE TO VIOLATE MOVE’S RELIGION BY PUBLICLY DEFAMING OUR BELIEF, OUR FOUNDER JOHN AFRICA!”
In the letter, Ramona insists multiple times that she is not threatening Steven Spielberg, but later reveals that “we don’t put our energy in the useless impotency of threats.” This is the MOVE way of saying “this is not a threat, it’s a promise.” If this letter feels out of character for the image of Ramona Africa that many have come to know and love, the image that is now on the Philadelphia municipal building, then you just haven’t been on the wrong side of MOVE before. Letters like this are very familiar to the Gilbride family, residents of Osage Ave, many residents of Powelton Village, Andino Ward, and just about anyone who has ever interfered with whatever MOVE’s leadership wants at that time. This is the thing that’s so confusing about MOVE if you try to understand it as a revolutionary group or a family, or just about anything other than a cult; MOVE doesn’t have a specific aim other than continuing MOVE, and MOVE can be absolutely anything that MOVE’s leadership says it is. MOVE’s philosophy is circular and can be stretched in any direction necessary to justify anything.
Coming around MOVE in the late ‘90s M-1 was only a whisper. I heard little things here and there, but it was so incongruous with my daily experience with MOVE members that I pushed it aside. However, I also read many of the trial transcripts from the MOVE 9 trial, the Federal trial, and others, and those earlier MOVE documents were littered with references to M-1 as the enforcing arm of MOVE. MOVE members always insisted that they had no control over M-1, that M-1 consisted of other members who were trained by John Africa and committed for life to physically defend the “above ground” members of MOVE.
When June began disclosing what life is like for children in MOVE to Maiga and me this past March one of her core concerns was revenge from M-1. She had not only been threatened multiple times by Alberta but had also been told that M-1 would enforce retribution upon any MOVE members who left and spoke out about their experiences. She reported that other members had expressed fear that if they ever left they would be tracked down by M-1. M-1 is not an odd footnote in MOVE history, it appears to serve to intimidate potential opponents anytime MOVE’s leadership deems necessary.
Ramona’s letter is one of dozens of documents and transcripts that refer to M-1 in this manner. Many more of these will appear for analysis on this blog in the future. It’s worth noting that the Gilbride family, and John Gilbride himself, received letters similar to this one before he was murdered. It’s also worth noting that John Gilbride is not the first person to die soon after publicly challenging MOVE. There are at least three other suspicious deaths of former MOVE members and supporters in the late 1970s that I will also eventually be addressing here.
I don’t know who pulled the trigger on September 26th, 2002 and murdered John Gilbride. However, I do know that the timing of his murder was exceedingly convenient for Alberta Africa. After all, she had set up a situation she couldn’t back down from. The windows at MOVE headquarters were boarded up and she had publicly stated that she would never allow John to have private visitation with his son. The situation that she orchestrated could end in another confrontation; which could mean more MOVE people dead, more police dead, and more people in prison, or it could end with John’s death. I also know that Alberta has a history of telling people that if she is ever threatened that M-1 will come to her defense. All of this flies in the face of the public image that MOVE has worked for decades to cultivate. Which one is the real face of MOVE?
Letter postmarked 10/18/1988, mailed from SCI-Muncy by Ramona Africa to Steven Spielberg
ONAMOVE! IT HAS COME TO THE ATTENTION OF THE MOVE ORGANIZATION THAT YOU’RE MAKING A MOVIE ABOUT THE LIFE OF OUR BROTHER BIRDIE AFRICA. SINCE BIRDIE LIVED MOST OF HIS LIFE IN MOVE, WE KNOW YOUR MOVIE INCLUDES THE MOVE ORGANIZATION. THAT’S WHAT I’M WRITING YOU ABOUT, ABOUT HOW YOU’RE INCLUDING THE MOVE ORGANIZATION IN THIS MOVIE WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT OUR BELIEF, NOTHING ABOUT US, AND I KNOW YOU DON’T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT US, ABOUT OUR BELIEF BECAUSE YOU AIN’T NO MOVE MEMBER, AIN’T NEVER BEEN NO MOVE MEMBER, DON’T KNOW NO MOVE MEMBERS AND AIN’T CONTACTED US TO TRY TO GET TO KNOW MOVE MEMBERS, OR EVEN JUST TALK TO MOVE MEMBERS. THE ONLY MOVE MEMBER YOU MITE HAVE CONTACT WITH IS BIRDIE, AND WE KNOW YOU DON’T LISTEN TO HIM, WE KNOW HE AIN’T GOT NO SAY IN THIS MOVIE AND THAT HE’S INTIMIDATED. THE ONLY THINGS YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION CAME FROM ANDINO WARD OR THE NEWS MEDIA AND THEY DON’T KNOW NOTHIN ABOUT THIS ORGANIZATION EITHER. ANDINO WARD DON’T SUPPORT AND DON’T LIKE THIS ORGANIZATION AT ALL, AND SOMEBODY THAT DON’T LIKE YOU AIN’T GONE SAY NOTHIN GOOD ABOUT YOU. THE NEWSMEDIA AIN’T NEVER TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT MOVE; ALL THEY EVER DO IS LIE ABOUT US, ABOUT WHAT WE SAY, ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE SAID OR DID IT. THE NEWMEDIA ALWAYS PAINTED A REAL DISTORTED, WRONG PICTURE OF MOVE PEOPLE AS INSANE, VIOLENT, TERRORISTS, AS PEOPLE THAT ABUSE AND DON’T CARE ABOUT OUR CHILDREN. THE NEWSMEDIA’S VICIOUS LIES, THEIR DISTORTED PICTURE OF MOVE IS WHAT THIS SYSTEM USE TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK IT’S JUSTIFIED IN BEATIN, JAILIN, SHOOTIN, BOMBIN, KILLIN MOVE PEOPLE. NOW YOU WANT TO RELY ON THESE PEOPLE FOR INFORMATION ABOUT MOVE, FOR YOUR PORTRAYAL OF MOVE IN THIS MOVIE, SO WE KNOW THE KIND OF MOVIE YOU GETTIN READY TO MAKE, THE KIND OF IMAGE OF THIS ORGANIZATION YOU GETTIN READY TO PUT OUT. WE KNOW YOU GETTIN READY TO PORTRAY THE SAME VICIOUS LIES, THE SAME DISTORTED PICTURE OF THIS ORGANIZATION AS THE NEWSMEDIA; THE SAME VICIOUS LIES THAT WILL ONLY LEAD TO MORE PERSECUTION, MORE KILLIN, ANOTHER MAY 13TH THAT PEOPLE WOULD THINK IS JUSTIFIED BASED ON YOUR MOVIE. WE KNOW HOW SERIOUS, HOW DANGEROUS THESE LIES ARE, WE KNOW WHAT THEY LEAD TO SO WE’RE TAKIN THIS SITUATION VERY SERIOUSLY. YOU’RE ONLY DOIN THIS MOVIE FOR MONEY AND PRESTIGE BUT MONEY OR PRESTIGE DON’T MEAN NOTHIN TO US; WE AIN’T CONTACTIN YOU TO SEEK NO MONEY. THE WORK MOVE IS DOIN WE’RE DOIN OUT OF COMMITMENT AND THAT’S WHY WE’RE CONTACTIN YOU, OUT OF COMMITMENT TO SEEIN THAT YOU DON’T DEFAME THIS ORGANIZATION. THIS ORGANIZATION COULD NEVER SURVIVE TWENTY YEARS OF BRUTAL BEATINGS, VIOLENT CONFRONTATION, ONE HUNDRED YEAR PRISON SENTENCES, BOMBING MURDERS BY THIS SYSTEM AND STILL STAY STRONG IF WE WASNT ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED, IF IT WASNT FOR THE COMMITMENT PUT IN US BY OUR FOUNDER JOHN AFRICA LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA! MOVE’S GOT OUR EYE FIXED ON YOU SPIELBERG, WE’RE WATCHING YOU, WATCHING WHAT YOU’RE DOING WITH THIS MOVIE, AND WE’RE NOT THE ONLY ONES WATCHING YOU EITHER. M-1 WILL ALSO BE WATCHING YOU, M-1 WILL BE MONITORING YOUR PORTRAYAL OF THE MOVE ORGANIZATION IN THIS MOVIE YOURE PRODUCING. M-1 IS A HIGHLY SKILLED, EXPERTLY TRAINED CORE OF REVOLUTIONARIES ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO WATCHING OVER THE MOVE ORGANIZATION. M-1 HAS DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO REVOLUTION, M-1 DOES NOT TALK OR REASON, THEY ACT, THEY EFFECTIVELY DEAL WITH ANY OBSTACLES PUT IN THE REVOLUTION’S PATH. MOVE HAS NO CONTACT WITH M-1, WE DON’T EVEN KNOW THEIR NAMES AS THEY DONT MAKE CONTACT WITH US, ITS NOT NECESSARY. M-1’S ACTIVITY IS TO PROTECT MOVE AND THEY CARRY THIS ACTIVITY OUT WITH STRATEGIC EXPERTISE, AS ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ATTEMPTED TO HURT THIS ORGANIZATION ARE BEING EFFECTIVELY DEALT WITH. I’M TELLING YOU THIS NOT TO THREATEN YOU OR SCARE YOU SPIELBERG AS MOVE MEMBERS DONT BELIEVE IN THREATS, WE DONT PUT OUR ENERGY IN THE USELESS IMPOTENCY OF THREATS - THEY HAVE NO PURPOSE. MOVE IS MAKING YOU AWARE OF M-1 NOW SO YOU REALIZE THE POSITION YOU WILL PUT YOURSELF IN IF YOU CHOOSE TO VIOLATE MOVE’S RELIGION BY PUBLICLY DEFAMING OUR BELIEF, OUR FOUNDER JOHN AFRICA! LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA FOREVER! WE’RE NOT THREATENING YOU, WE’RE MAKING YOU AWARE OF YOUR POSITION AND M-1’S COMMITMENT - THE DECISION IS YOURS!
LONG LIVE MOVE!
LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA’S REVOLUTION!
LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!
LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA!
LONG LIVE JOHN AFRICA FOREVER!
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INFORMATION IN THIS LETTER YOU CAN EITHER WRITE TO ME AT THE RETURN ADDRESS ON THIS ENVELOPE OR CALL ME THRU MY COUNSELOR - MS. NANCY BUBB - AT (717) 546-3171. OTHERWISE THE MOVE ORGANIZATION WANTS TO KNOW WHAT EXACTLY YOU INTEND TO DO ABOUT THIS SITUATION.
ONA MOVE
RAMONA AFRICA
MINISTER OF COMMUNICATION FOR THE MOVE ORGANIZATION
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