#Powelton Village

[pttedu]

Can One Become A Marine Pipefitter After Pipefitting Training?

Marine pipefitting is a specialized trade that calls for extra skills. Read more to learn how one can work as a marine pipefitter after pipefitting training.

[stevensurbansocblog23]

09/22/2023

Week Two: 

As I leave University City and venture into North West Philadelphia, I begin to notice how neighborhoods in the city have distinct identities and cultures. This diversity reflects Jane Jacobs' emphasis on the importance of neighborhood character. University City, with its blend of academic institutions, residential areas, and commercial zones, showcases the dynamic interplay of urban life. It's a place where students, professors, residents, and entrepreneurs coexist, contributing to a rich tapestry of diversity. Something that has continuously been echoed by Professor Gershberg during lectures, cities continue to be a space in which people from diverse backgrounds intermix, and considering just how many universities are located in close proximity, it almost feels like a unique geographic bubble. 

Driving through University City and into Powelton Village, I witnessed mixed land use in action. Jacobs advocated for a mix of residential, commercial, and recreational spaces within neighborhoods, creating vibrant streetscapes. The locally-owned cafes, shops, and community centers that line Lancaster Avenue embody this principle. These small businesses not only add to community life but also enhance the walkability and social vitality of the area. This allows many of the residents which tend to be students the flexibility to participate in a variety of activities. This range allows for anyone to be walking distance from a locally owned barber shop or the farmers market, which highlights the importance of public spaces and placemaking. As I arrived at the Philadelphia School for the Deaf, the campus's green spaces and inviting architecture provide an environment where students, faculty, and visitors can gather, connect, and learn. This not only highlights parts of Jacobs’ themes, but takes into consideration Deaf Space and Deaf architecture.

[theprophet359]

DSC_9357 by Joe Piette Via Flickr: EMERGENCY PRESS CONFERENCE for DELBERT ORR AFRICA Philadelphia, August 7: The MOVE ORGANIZATION held a press conference to inform people that a week ago MOVE Political Prisoner Delbert Orr Africa was taken out of SCI Dallas and transported to an outside hospital where he has been held incommunicado for a period of 7 days. Delbert has not been allowed to call his MOVE Family or Blood Daughter. Prison and Hospital officials will not release any information to any of us on Delbert or his condition . We are highly suspicious of what's going on here. In 2015 our MOVE 9 Brother Phil Africa was taken to an outside hospital from SCI Dallas with a minor stomach virus. He was held incommunicado for a period of 5 days and upon returning to SCI Dallas he was placed in hospice care only to die a day later. In March of 1998 after recovering from a stomach virus at SCI Cambridge Springs, MOVE 9 Sister Merle Africa was told by prison officials she was dying only to die a couple of hours later. The same pattern is repeating itself here. Delbert is scheduled to go before the PA Parole Board this September and this government does not want to give ground and parole another innocent MOVE Member, that's why they are working in conjunction with Prison and Hospital officials to murder Delbert . He was arrested Aug. 8, 1978, during the Philadelphia police assault on the MOVE house in Powelton Village. Police officer James Ramp died during the 1978 police assault, likely struck by one of the tens of thousands of rounds fired by his fellow officers that day. Nine MOVE members were all found guilty of firing the same bullet and were convicted of murder, assault and conspiracy by the late Judge Edwin S. Malmed. The MOVE 9 were subsequently sentenced to 30 to 100 years in prison.” (onamove.com) Despite serving over 40 of their 30-to-100-year sentences, Delbert Africa remains unjustly imprisoned. ONA MOVE THE MOVE ORGANIZATION August 6 Audio statement by Mumia Abu-Jamal on Delbert Africa: www.prisonradio.org/sites/default/files/audio/uploads/8%2...

[phillygrub]

Asad's Hot Chicken Opening 4th Location in Powelton Village

It’s going to get HOTTER in Philadelphia this summer. Asad’s Hot Chicken, famous hot fried chicken stands in Northeast Philly and recently opened brick & mortar in Bensalem, has announced it will open its 4th location near the campus of Drexel University in Powelton Village. Asad’s Hot Chicken is already a favorite among heatseekers who love their food spicy HOT! It is famous for fiery chicken…

[philadelphiaepoxyflooringpa]

The Best Neighborhoods to Live in Philadelphia: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

When you think of Philadelphia, you probably imagine the iconic city skyline, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, or even the Rocky steps. But did you know that Philadelphia is also home to some of the best neighborhoods in America? From historic brownstones and cobblestone streets to parks with breathtaking views, this city has so much to offer. In this guide, we'll explore nine different neighborhoods in Philadelphia (including our top picks), their pros and cons, as well as what makes each one so special.

Society Hill

Society Hill is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. It was originally home to early settlers who built their homes around a church, which is still there today. Society Hill is located near Penn's Landing and Independence National Historical Park, so you'll have easy access to plenty of restaurants and nightlife options if you're looking for them.

The neighborhood has some great public schools: There are three elementary schools within its borders (Powelton, Franklin Learning Center and St Michael's), while two middle schools serve students from all over Philadelphia (Franklin Middle School and William Penn Charter). If your kids want to go on to high school, they can attend Central High School or Academy at Palumbo/Archbishop Wood Catholic High School--both located just outside Society Hill!

Society Hill has several grocery stores within walking distance including Whole Foods Market (which recently opened), Foodtown Supermarket & Pharmacy Inc., Acme Markets Incorporated - Food Stores & More!, ShopRite Supermarkets Inc., Giant Food Stores LLC - Grocery Stores & More!

Queen Village

Queen Village is located in the heart of the city. It's a neighborhood bordered by Washington Avenue to the north, Front Street to the south, South Street to the west and 7th Street to the east.

Queen Village has become one of Philadelphia's most popular neighborhoods for people who want an urban lifestyle but also want access to green space and outdoor recreation opportunities.

Schuylkill River Waterfront

The Schuylkill River Waterfront is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia that sits on the banks of the Schuylkill River. The neighborhood has a long history as an industrial area, but today it's one of the most desirable places to live in Philly thanks to its proximity to Center City, its abundance of amenities and great rental market.

The Schuylkill River Waterfront is bordered by Girard Avenue and Washington Avenue on the north side; Delaware Avenue on its east side; Oregon Avenue on its south side; and Front Street/Kingsessing Avenue on its west side (though some consider Kingsessing Avenue part of Southwest Philadelphia). The blocks between Oregon Avenue and Front Street/Kingsessing Avenue are known as "Brewerytown" because they were once home to several breweries along Second Street Pike (now called South Street).

Bella Vista

Bella Vista is a neighborhood in the Northwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood is bounded by Castor Avenue to the north, Front Street to the south, Washington Avenue to the east and Roosevelt Boulevard to the west.

The Bella Vista Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and currently consists of more than 700 buildings constructed between 1882 and 1930 that contribute to its significance as an intact late Victorian / early 20th century urban residential community with unusual architectural styles.

Old City

Old City is the historical center of Philadelphia, with a large number of historic buildings and sites. It has one of the highest concentrations of historic buildings in the city and was home to many of Philadelphia's founding fathers.

Old City was also where William Penn established his first settlement in 1682, making it one of the oldest neighborhoods in America that still exists today. The neighborhood has since grown into an eclectic mix of restaurants, bars and shops along Market Street--making it one of our favorite places to hang out in Philly!

Center City West and Fairmount

Center City West and Fairmount are two of the most popular neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Both are located in the western part of Center City, which is where you'll find most of Philly's skyscrapers, businesses and financial institutions. They're also close to each other--and they share several key characteristics that make them such desirable places to live:

They're both located near Schuylkill River Park (which spans between Fairmount Park and Wissahickon Valley Park). This means you can easily walk or bike along trails without having to worry about traffic or other obstacles getting in your way.

The historic Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive provides access to boats for rowing practice at dawn each morning during warmer months; if you don't have your own boat yet but would like one someday soon anyway then now may not be too early for planning ahead!

Graduate Hospital and Point Breeze (North of Center City)

Graduate Hospital and Point Breeze are two of the best neighborhoods to live in Philadelphia. They're both located north of Center City, but they also have excellent public transportation and access to hospitals and medical care as well as shopping and restaurants.

Public transportation: The neighborhood is served by several SEPTA bus lines (including Routes 1, 17, 32 and 33) that connect it with Center City Philadelphia as well as other parts of the city such as Northern Liberties or Fishtown. There's also a subway station at 5th Street & Girard Avenue if you want to commute via train instead!

Schools: Residents attend schools within the School District of Philadelphia including Central High School for Boys; Girls High School; Friends Select School; Martin Luther King Jr Elementary School; Sayre High School; Southwark Elementary School; Thomas A Edison Middle School & William H Hallahan Academy Charter School For Girls among others

Fishtown and the Delaware River Waterfront (South of Center City)

Fishtown and the Delaware River Waterfront (South of Center City)

Fishtown is a popular neighborhood in Philadelphia. It's located just north of Center City and has lots of great bars, restaurants, and shops to explore. The Delaware River Waterfront offers plenty of beautiful views of the city skyline as well as plenty of places to relax on the waterfront if you want to go for a walk or run along the riverbank.

Horsham

Horsham is a town in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located approximately 25 miles northwest of Philadelphia. The population was 2,622 at the 2010 census. Horsham has been designated as an All-America City three times: 1959-60 (when it was known as "Allentown"), 1973-74 and 1997-98.

Horsham was settled by Quakers who migrated from Long Island to Bucks County around 1680 and established several meeting houses there until 1708 when they built their first meeting house in Horsham village at what would later become Third Street Pike and Old York Road (now Route 611). The name comes from Horsham St Faith's Church which had been named after Saint Faith's Chapel near Norwich Cathedral in England; this chapel had once belonged to one of William the Conqueror's barons who emigrated with him during their conquest of England in 1066 A D

West Chester

West Chester is a suburban community in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located about 25 miles (40 km) west of Philadelphia and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA) provides an important source of local employment and serves as the town's largest employer; additionally, it has one of only two law schools in Pennsylvania with an established reputation for excellence that ranks in U.S News & World Report's top 50 law schools nationwide.

The borough was founded in 1732 by Welsh settlers who named it after their old home town: Caerlliontannwg meaning "Town on the River Ceiriog" - Ceiriog being another name for River Dee which flows through both places

Takeaway:

So, you're ready to move to Philadelphia. You've seen the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, enjoyed a cheesesteak or two and now feel like it's time for you and your family (or friends) to settle down in this historic city.

Well, we have good news: Philadelphia is a great place to live! We know this because our team of researchers has analyzed over 100 neighborhoods across the city for their character, attractions and affordability. And we think they'll be perfect for you too!

Conclusion

So, there you have it: a look at some of the best neighborhoods in Philadelphia. There are plenty more to explore, but these are our favorites. If you're looking for somewhere to live that has great food and drink options, plenty of green space, easy access to public transportation--and just happens to be close enough that you can get anywhere in the city within minutes--then any one of these spots could be perfect for your needs!

Philadelphia Epoxy Flooring

Philadelphia Epoxy Flooring is a great choice for those who are looking for a more affordable option. This hotel offers all of the amenities that you would expect from any other hotel and is located within walking distance of many restaurants, shopping centers, and attractions in Mt laurel Township, PA. Philadelphia Epoxy Flooring is a great choice for those who are looking for a more affordable option. This hotel offers all of the amenities that you would expect from any other hotel and is located within walking distance of many restaurants, shopping centers, and attractions in Mt laurel Township, PA. If you’re looking for an upscale hotel experience during your visit be sure to book a room at one of the many hotels located within the city. They offer services like garage epoxy flooring, concrete coatings, and garage floors to their guests. This hotel offers all of the amenities that you would expect from any other hotel and is located within walking distance of many restaurants, shopping centers, and attractions in Mt laurel Township, PA. If you’re looking for an upscale hotel experience during your visit be sure to book a room at one of the many hotels located within the city. They offer services like garage epoxy flooring. You may find us online using these keywords epoxy flooring, garage epoxy flooring, garage floors, epoxy basement floor, epoxy floor coating, metallic epoxy floor, residential epoxy flooring, garage floor coating, epoxy concrete floor, and commercial flooring.

Philadelphia Epoxy Flooring

1625 W Oregon Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19145

(215) 500-2612

[thecultproblem]

Bibliography

Destigmatizing Cults 

Goodwin, Megan. “Raising the Jonestown Dead: Misogynoir, Minority Religions, and How we Misremember People’s Temple.” Raising the Jonestown Dead, 2 Nov. 2022, University of Vermont. Lecture.

Smith, Jonathan Z. “The Devil in Mr. Jones.” Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Ill, 2013, pp. 102–121.

Heavens Gate

Lewis, J. R. (2003). Heaven’s Gate and New Age Ideology. UFO religions, 103.

Robinson, W. G. (1997). Heaven's Gate: The End. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 3(3), JCMC334.Scientology

Scientology

davidmiscavige.com. “David Miscavige .” David Miscavige, https://www.davidmiscavige.org/.

Gilgoff, Dan, and Tricia Escobedo. “Scientology: What Exactly Is It?” CNN, Cable News Network, 19 Apr. 2017, https://www.cnn.com/2017/03/22/us/believer-what-is-scientology/index.html.

Hazlett, Courtney. “Scientologists Clear up Travolta Misconceptions.” TODAY.com, TODAY, 6 Jan. 2009, https://www.today.com/popculture/scientologists-clear-travolta-misconceptions-wbna28511424.

History.com Editors. “L. Ron Hubbard Publishes ‘Dianetics.’” History, A&E Television Networks, 24 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/l-ron-hubbard-publishes-dianetics. 

History.com Editors. “Scientology-History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, May 2017, https://www.history.com/topics/religion/history-of-scientology. 

Official Church of Scientology, Scientology, 1AD, https://www.scientology.org/.

“Scientology Beliefs.” Scientology Beliefs,         https://www.scientologynews.org/faq/scientology-beliefs.html. 

Vinaire. “The Statement of Theta-Mest Theory.” Vinaire, 30 July 2022, https://vinaire.me/2022/03/29/the-definition-of-theta-mest-theory/. 

Wright, Lawrence. “What Happens When You Try to Leave the Church of Scientology?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Apr. 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/apr/23/try-to-leave-church-scientology-lawrence-wright.

MOVE

Evans, Richard Kent. MOVE: An American Religion. Oxford University Press, 2020.

Goodwin, Megan. “Raising the Jonestown Dead: Misogynoir, Minority Religions, and How we Misremember People’s Temple.” Raising the Jonestown Dead, 2 Nov. 2022, University of Vermont. Lecture.

Harry, Margot. “‘Attention MOVE! This Is America!".” Race & Class, vol. 28, no. 4, 1987, pp. 5–28. 

Jackson, Reggie. “A Racial Tragedy in Philadelphia: Part 1 - the MOVE 9 versus American Jurisprudence.” The Milwaukee Independent, 30 May 2021, http://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/column/racial-tragedy-philadelphia-part-1-move-9-versus-american-jurisprudence/. 

Puckett, John L., and Devin DeSilvis. “MOVE in Powelton Village.” West Philadelphia Collaborative History - MOVE in Powelton Village, https://collaborativehistory.gse.upenn.edu/stories/move-powelton-village#:~:text=In%20August%201978%2C%20after%20almost,sentences%20of%20nine%20MOVE%20members

Roane, J.T. “Perspective | The Shocking MOVE Bombing Was Part of a Broader Pattern of Anti-Black Racism.” The Washington Post, 13 May 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2021/05/13/shocking-move-bombing-was-part-broader-pattern-anti-black-racism/. 

Smith, Jonathan Z. “The Devil in Mr. Jones.” Imagining Religion: From Babylon to Jonestown, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Ill, 2013, pp. 102–121.

Terry, Don. “Philadelphia Held Liable For Firebomb Fatal to 11.” New York Times, 25 June 1996, p. 10. 

Tomek, Beverly C. “MOVE.” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, 13 June 2022, https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/move/. 

Trippett, Frank. “‘It Looks Just Like a War Zone.’” TIME Magazine, 27 May 1985. 

Wahrhaftig, Paul, and Hizkias Assefa. “MOVE/Philadelphia Bombing: A Conflict Resolution History.” Sociological Practice, vol. 10, no. 1, 1992, pp. 164–176.

The Family International

Bromley, David G. and Shupe Jr., Anson D. Strange Gods: The Great American Cult Scare. Massachusetts: Beacon Press, 1981.

The Family International. 2022. November 28, 2022. https://www.thefamilyinternational.org/en/

Wikipedia contributors. “The Family International”. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. November 28, 2022. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Family_International

Website Images

“A Dark Colored Background Covered in Small Glowing Multicolored Stars.” Heavens Gate, https://www.heavensgate.com/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2022.

“A Flashing Gif That States ‘Red Alert - " in a Bright Neon Red.” Heavens Gate, https://www.heavensgate.com. Accessed 12 Dec. 2022.

[yasbxxgie]

The photograph is one of the standout images of the 1970s black liberation struggle. An African American man, his hair in dreadlocks, chest bare, stands with arms outstretched as though emulating Jesus on the cross. A white police officer is jabbing a shotgun at him with the muzzle inches from his throat. Another officer clasps a police helmet in his right hand as if preparing to whack him over the head with it.

Forty years almost to the day after that photo was taken, the same black man described how he came to be standing there on a sidewalk, half-naked and surrounded by angry police. His account was almost too graphic to grasp, sounding more like something out of a movie than the recollection of what really happened in the heart of one of America’s major cities.

It was 8 August 1978 and he had just emerged from the basement of the house in Philadelphia that his black revolutionary group, Move, used as a communal home. In an attempt to evict them from the property, hundreds of officers had just stormed the building, pummeling it with water cannons and gunfire, and in the maelstrom a police officer had been killed and several other first responders injured.

“As I emerged from the basement I had the presence of mind to let them see I was unarmed, so I took my shirt off,” the black man said. “That’s when I put my arms out wide.”

The black man is Delbert Orr Africa, Del for short. When I went to meet him he was wearing a burgundy one-piece with a white T-shirt and blue shoes. Everyone else around him was wearing the same uniform of Dallas maximum-security prison in Pennsylvania that he has worn every day since appearing in that photograph 40 years ago.

I had come to interview him as part of a two-year project in which I made contact with eight black liberationists who have all experienced long prison sentences. They each agreed to embark on an ongoing conversation with me about their political beliefs today and their battle to secure their own freedom.

Del Africa, 72, and I talked for three hours in the prison visitors’ room. He spoke rapidly and intensely, as though he needed to get it all out, relating how he had joined the Black Panther party in Chicago and then switched to the Move organisation after relocating to Philadelphia.

He also told me what happened the second after that photo was taken, as though he were narrating the next few frames of a news reel. As it turns out, that police officer really had been about to whack him.

“A cop hit me with his helmet,” he said. “Smashed my eye. Another cop swung his shotgun and broke my jaw. I went down, and after that I don’t remember anything ’til I came to and a dude was dragging me by my hair and cops started kicking me in the head.”

Del Africa is one of the Move 9, the group of five men and four women, all African American, who were arrested 40 years ago this August during the 1978 police siege of their headquarters in Powelton Village, Philadelphia. They were charged as a nine-person unit with the murder of the police officer who died in the melee, James Ramp. Each was sentenced to 30 years to life, though to this day they protest their innocence.

The ranks of the Move 9 have slowly been depleted over the years. Two have died in prison. In June, the first of the nine to win parole, Debbie Africa, was released from a Pennsylvania women’s prison.

As the 40th anniversary approaches, six of the Move 9 are still behind bars, Del Africa included. They are among a total of 19 black radicals who remain locked up in penitentiaries across America having been convicted of violent acts committed in the name of black power between the late 1960s and early 1980s.

Along with former Black Panthers and Black Liberation Army members, they amount to the unfinished business of the black liberation struggle. Many of them remain strikingly passionate about the cause, even as they strive for release in some cases half a century into their sentences.

In the case of Move members, their politics are a strange fusion of black power and flower power. The group that formed in the early 1970s melded the revolutionary ideology of the Black Panthers with the nature- and animal-loving communalism of 1960s hippies. You might characterise them as black liberationists-cum-eco warriors.

That sense of passion for the cause leaps out from the first email that Del Africa sent to me from Dallas in September 2016, after I’d contacted him asking to talk.

“ON THE MOVE! LONG LIVE FREEDOM’S STRUGGLE!” he proclaimed in capital letters at the top of the message. “Warm Revolutionary greetings, Ed!”

He then launched into a long deliberation about the “plight of political prisoners here in ameriKKKa!”. Move members are still imprisoned, he wrote, “just because we steadfastly refused to abandon our Belief in the Revolutionary Teachings of Move’s Founder” and because of “our refusal to bow down to this murderous, racist, sexist rotten-ass system”. He ended with the quip: “But, hey, I don’t wanna burn you out the first time I reply to your email.”

There was a similar robustness to the first response I received in December 2016 after reaching out to Janine Phillips Africa, one of the four women among the Move 9. Unlike Del Africa’s email, she wrote to me by hand, sending the letter by mail as she has continued to do over the ensuing 18 months.

“Me and my sisters are doing good, staying strong,” was the first sentence she wrote to me. That was remarkable in itself coming from a woman who is not only approaching the 40th anniversary of her incarceration but has had two of her children killed in confrontations with police.

“Everybody knows how strong Move men are. We’re showing the world how strong Move women are. That’s how it’s been since our arrest in 1978,” she said.

In the course of that first letter, Janine Africa, who was 22 when she was arrested and is now 62, took me deep into the “torture chamber”, the cruel solitary confinement wing where she spent the first three years of her sentence.

“There were no windows, just a section of the wall with frosted panes. You couldn’t tell when it was night or day, they kept the lights on 24/7. They were ordered to break us but it didn’t work – no matter what they did, they were not going to break us.”

Over the months, I came to learn about the double tragedy in Janine Africa’s life. In 1976, Philadelphia police officers turned up at the Move house in Powelton Village having been called out to a disturbance. Scuffling ensued between some Move residents and police. Janine was shoved and her baby, whom she had named Life, was knocked out of her arms to the ground. His skull appears to have been crushed, and he died later that day in her arms. He was three weeks old.

Then on 13 May 1985, seven years after Janine Africa was imprisoned, she received further terrible news. Philadelphia police had dropped a bomb from a helicopter onto a Move house on Osage Avenue in the west of Philadelphia in an attempt to force the black radicals to evacuate the premises after long-running battles with the authorities. The bomb ignited a fire in the Move house that turned into an inferno.

Janine’s 12-year-old son, Little Phil, was being cared for in that house by other Move adults while she was in custody. The then mayor of Philadelphia, Wilson Goode, notoriously gave the go-ahead for the bombing, and the fire that ensued was allowed to rage, the blaze spreading across the black neighborhood and razing 61 homes to the ground.

Little Phil and four other children burned to death. So too did six adults including Move’s founder, John Africa, AKA Vincent Leaphart.

I asked Janine Africa how she coped with losing two young sons during clashes with law enforcement. She was reticent. “I don’t like talking about the night Life was killed,” she wrote in April. “There are times when I think about Life and my son Phil, but I don’t keep those thoughts in my mind long because they hurt.”

In that same letter she said she had turned grief into what she contests is a force for good: deeper commitment to the struggle. “The murder of my children, my family, will always affect me, but not in a bad way. When I think about what this system has done to me and my family, it makes me even more committed to my belief,” she said.

Del Africa also heard bad news on 13 May 1985. His 13-year-old daughter Delisha was also living in the Move house. She too died in the fire. When I asked him how he dealt with being told his daughter had been killed in an inferno that had been ignited by the actions of the city authorities, he wasn’t as sanguine as Janine.

“I just cried,” he said during my prison visit. “I wanted to strike out. I wanted to wreak as much havoc as I could until they put me down. That anger, it brought such a feeling of helplessness. Like, dang! What to do now? Dark times …”

Mayor Goode made a formal apology for the disaster the following year. But a grand jury cleared all officials of criminal liability for the 1985 bombing that killed 11 people, including five children.

The only adult Move member to escape the inferno alive, Ramona Africa, was imprisoned for seven years.

All Move members take the last name “Africa” to denote their commitment to race equality and their strong bond to what they regard as their Move “family”. “A family of revolutionaries�� is how Del Africa once described it to me. Unlike the Black Panther party which formally dissolved in 1982, Move is still a living entity.

“We exposed the crimes of government officials on every level,” Janine Africa wrote to me. “We demonstrated against puppy mills, zoos, circuses, any form of enslavement of animals. We demonstrated against Three Mile Island [nuclear power plant] and industrial pollution. We demonstrated against police brutality. And we did so uncompromisingly. Slavery never ended, it was just disguised.”

Deeply committed as they were to each other, the Move “family” undoubtedly had the ability to incense those around them. They liked to project their revolutionary message at high volume from a bullhorn at all hours of night and day. Passersby were accosted with a torrent of expletives.

Then there were the dogs. When the 1978 siege happened, there were 12 adults and 11 children in the Move house in Powelton Village – and 48 dogs. Most of the animals were strays taken in by the group as part of its philosophy of caring for the vulnerable. Black liberation, animal liberation – the two are as one with Move. John Africa was known as the “dog man”, as he was rarely seen without one.

The unconventional nature of the Move community which drove some neighbors to despair in turn led to demands for their eviction, and ultimately to the fatal siege. Over time relations grew more belligerent. Months before the siege Move members made visible their threat to resist attempts to remove them from the neighborhood – they stood on a platform they had built at the front of the house dressed in fatigues and brandishing rifles.

On its side, the city was led at that time by the Frank Rizzo, Goode’s predecessor as Philadelphia mayor, a former police commissioner who liked to talk tough and was fond of dog-whistle politics. He once said of the Move radicals: “You are dealing with criminals, barbarians, you are safer in the jungle!” Another Rizzo classic was: “Break their heads is right. They try to break yours, you break theirs first.”

When Move refused to vacate the premises having been issued with an eviction order, Rizzo said he would impose a blockade on the house so tight “even a fly wouldn’t get in”. He was not kidding. For 56 days before the siege, a ring of steel was erected around the house, no food was permitted into the compound and the water supply was cut off. Rizzo bragged he would “show them more firepower than they’ve ever seen”.

At about 6am on 8 August 1978 the action started. Move members were battered by water cannon as they took refuge in the basement of the building. Tear gas was propelled into the house. At 8.15am shots rang out and a thunderstorm of gunfire erupted that is captured on police footage of the incident. Police and fire officers are seen scattering in all directions as bullets whistle overhead seemingly in all directions. It looked like a war zone.

Soon after Move adults and naked children began emerging from the smoke-ridden basement. Janine Africa can be heard in the police footage screaming. Next, Del Africa appears, his hands outstretched in that Jesus pose. The camera pans in on him as he lies on the street after he was hit with the police helmet. Two police officers begin kicking him on his head which bounces between them like a ball. Three officers later faced disciplinary measures but a judge dismissed the charges.

Prosecutors accused the Move 9 of collaboratively killing Ramp, even though he died from one bullet. They said the shooting had been started when gunfire erupted from the basement where the Move members were gathered, a theory supported by some eyewitnesses.

Move’s attorney gathered other witness evidence suggesting the fatal shot had come from the opposite direction – in other words, it was accidental “friendly fire”. At trial no forensic evidence was presented that connected the Move 9 to the weapon that caused the fatality. For the women in particular the prosecution did not even argue the four had handled firearms or had been involved in the actual shooting of Ramp.

Del Africa insisted when I interviewed him that though Move had guns in the house, none of them were operative. “There was no shooting from our side,” he told me. “No one in the house had any gunshot residue, none of us had fingerprints on any of the weapons they claim came out of the house.”

The Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police has a plaque for Ramp on its memorial site. I reached out to the order many times in the course of a month to hear their reflection on his death and Move’s role in it, but they did not respond.

You can get a sense of the depth of feeling by reading the comments under Ramp’s page on the Philadelphia Officer Down Memorial website. Several commentators, some of whom vividly recalled the 1978 siege, sent blessings to the deceased police officer and his family.

Others expressed anger at the lack of justice for Ramp, though they didn’t specify what they meant. One woman, whose late husband was on duty at both the siege and the 1985 bombing, was more direct. She said of Ramp: “I was so sad to hear of your passing. I felt, and still do feel so badly for your family. Move were scum and cowards, hiding as they shot. You were SO brave. Never forgotten. RIP.”

As they approach the 40th anniversary of the siege and of their subsequent captivity, Del and Janine Africa described to me how they’ve coped for so long doing time for a crime they insist they did not commit. They each have their own survival methods.

Janine Africa told me she avoids thinking about time itself. Birthdays, holidays, the new year mean nothing to her. “The years are not my focus, I keep my mind on my health and the things I need to do day by day.”

Del Africa thinks of the eons behind bars not as “prison time” but as “revolutionary prison activity”. “I keep saying to myself: ‘I will not fall apart. I will not give in.’”

They’ve both experienced long stretches in solitary confinement, a brand of punishment that the UN has decried as a form of torture. In 1983, Del Africa was put into the “hole” – an isolation cell – because he refused to have his dreadlocks cut.

He stayed in the hole for six years. He relieved the stress and boredom by organizing black history quizzes for other inmates held in the isolation wing. Russell Shoaltz, a former Black Panther, helped him devise the questions, and shout them out down the line of solitary cells. Questions such as: when was the Brown v Board of Education ruling in the US supreme court? What year was the Black Panther party founded? Who was Dred Scott? For what is John Brown remembered?

Eventually Del Africa won the right to keep his dreads. When I visited him in Dallas there they hung, salt-and-peppered now, proudly down to his hips.

Throughout, the Move prisoners have drawn strength from companionship with other members of the nine. Janine shared a cell with two other surviving Move women – Debbie Africa and Janet Holloway Africa – in Cambridge Springs women’s prison in Pennsylvania. They called each other “sisters” and did everything together. “We read, we play cards, we watch TV. We laugh a lot together, we’re sisters through and through,” she wrote in a letter in February.

There was one other member of their gang: fittingly given the history of the organization, a dog called Chevy. The prison authorities let them keep the dog kenneled in their cell as part of a program in which they train the animal for later use as a service dogs for disabled people.

Life went on like this for years, and had acquired its own normality, almost a certain tranquility. Until last month when Debbie Africa was granted parole and set free. Her departure came as a jolt.

“It’s strange not having Deb here,” Janine said. “I keep expecting her to walk in from work. They snuck her out at 5.[:]00 in the morning. We only got to hug her briefly and watch her leave. Chevy misses her, he keeps sniffing her bed.”

In June, Janine and Janet Africa also went before the same parole board as Debbie and made essentially the same case that they had earned their freedom. The board asked Janine whether she would be a risk to the public were she to be let out, and she referred them to her pristine prison record: the last time she had any disciplinary rap was 26 years ago. “The way I’m in here is the way I’ll be outside, there is no risk factor,” she told them.

While Debbie was set free, both Janine and Janet had their parole denied. The board said they showed “lack of remorse” for the death of Ramp in the 1978 siege.

Janine Africa wrote to me a few days after she learnt of the denial, speculating that games were being played with her mind. The contrast of Debbie’s release with her denial was “either to make us resent Deb or make me feel hopeless and break us down. Whatever their tactic, it isn’t working!”

Debbie’s release also made a profound impact on Del Africa. “I feel overjoyed that Debbie is out,” he wrote to me. “Her release is a breakthrough! I see it finally opening the door a crack.”

Del Africa also hasn’t had a misconduct report in prison for more than 20 years. Yet he too was turned down for parole last year and must wait another four years before his next chance to convince the parole board that he can safely be returned to society.

Like many of the 19 black liberationists still behind bars, Del Africa is caught in a trap attached to the crime for which he was convicted. He knows he will only be paroled if he expresses heartfelt remorse. But says he cannot do that.

“How can I have any remorse for something I never did?” he said. “I had nothing to do with killing a cop in 1978. Have they shown any remorse for what happened to my daughter in 1985?”

Would he show remorse to the parole board if he felt it would secure his release?

“No, never going to do that,” he said. “That would be akin to making them right. They are the ones who were wrong.” [x]

Photograph:

The arrest of Delbert Africa of Move on 8 August 1978

Debbie Africa was released in June after 40 years in prison

Members of Move gather in front of their house. They were arrested 40 years ago during a police siege.

Janine Africa preaching to the crowd in front of the barricaded Move house in the Powelton Village section of Philadelphia

Move members hold sawed-off shotguns and automatic weapons as they stand in front of their barricaded headquarters

Debbie Africa and her son, Mike Africa, whom she gave birth to in her prison cell a month into her incarceration. She was released last June.

[hannahagostaillustration]

Baring Street, 11″ x 14′, mixed media. Saw this rainbow while walking through my neighborhood in West Philly after a particularly crazy thunderstorm and was inspired to draw it!

[itfeelsnew]

More photos at https://itfeelsnew.tumblr.com

[ts-56]

I’m Coming Home Again

[pttedu]

Meet Jim, an enthusiastic intern in Advanced Manufacturing and Automation at PTTI. In this episode, Jim shares his passion for Integrated Circuit (IC) design and application, offering a glimpse into his innovative mind and dedication to the field.

[diartsporagallery]

Original Jimi Hendrix Painting for sale on Saturday, September 16, 2017 at the Hamilton Porch Sale, Powelton Village, West Philly.  We will be at the corner  of 37th and Hamilton  selling lots of great art inclusing vintage African American original art, folk art, vintage photos, vintage prints and vintage posters.

[venicepearl]

Elizabeth Willing Powel (February 21, 1743 – January 17, 1830) was an American socialite and a prominent member of the Philadelphia upper class of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The daughter and later wife of mayors of Philadelphia, she was a salonnière who hosted frequent gatherings that became a staple of political life in the city. During the First Continental Congress in 1774, Powel opened her home to the delegates and their families, hosting dinner parties and other events. After the American Revolutionary War, she again took her place among the most prominent Philadelphian socialites, establishing a salon of the Republican Court of leading intellectuals and political figures.

Powel corresponded widely, including with the political elite of the time. She was a close friend and confidante to George Washington and was among those who convinced him to continue for a second term as president. She wrote extensively, but privately, on a wide range of subjects, including politics, the role of women, medicine, education, and philosophy. Powel is said to be the person who asked Benjamin Franklin, "What have we got, a republic or a monarchy?", to which he reportedly replied, "A republic ... if you can keep it", an often quoted statement about the Constitution of the United States. The exchange was first recorded by James McHenry, a delegate of the Constitutional Convention, in his journal entry dated September 18, 1787. Powel's exchange with Franklin was adapted over time, with the role played by Powel all but removed in 20th-century versions and replaced with an anonymous "lady", "woman", or "concerned citizen". The setting of the conversation was also revised from her home at the Powel House to the steps of Independence Hall.

Her husband Samuel Powel, one of the richest people in Philadelphia, twice elected mayor of the city, died in 1793. He left almost his entire estate to Powel, who went on to manage the family business dealings. She built a home for her nephew and chosen heir, John Hare Powel, on the country estate which she inherited from her husband. She sold the Powel House and lived on Chestnut Street near Independence Hall for the last three decades of her life; she died on January 17, 1830, and was buried beside her husband at Christ Church. More than a century later, the Powel House was acquired by the Philadelphia Society for the Preservation of Landmarks. It was renovated and opened to the public as a museum in 1938. Two rooms from the house were reconstructed as exhibits at museums in Philadelphia and New York City. The Powels' country estate later became part of Powelton Village in Philadelphia. Hundreds of her letters and several of her portraits survive.

[princessphilly]

I saw you had said you’re from Philly as well on my post on a different blog. Do you have any insight as to what areas should definitely be avoided or are “unsafe” to live? I asked the other blog, but more than one opinion is great! TIA - moving to Philly anon

I live in the city and I’m just going to give a list of the safer neighborhoods: Center City (including Rittenhouse and Washington Square), University City, Cedar Park, Walnut Hill, Clark Park, Fairmount, Graduate Hospital, queen village, Society Hill, Roxborough, Powelton Village, Northern Liberties, and Chestnut Hill. But it depends on where you are working and where you need to be close to. 

There are also gentrifying neighborhoods that ymmv: Brewerytown, Olde Kensington (gentrifying but a hell no for me), Port Richmond, anything West Philly between 52nd-57th streets and below Market, Point Breeze (hell no for me), most of South Philly below Washington Avenue (south Philly is so densely packed that one street is great and the next is a hellhole then three blocks way, it’s fucking amazing. South Philly is also ridiculously close to everything too)

[fuckyeahmarxismleninism]

By Stephen Millies 

Two hundred people marched in Philadelphia on Aug. 8 to protest police terror and honor the memory of Delbert Africa. It was the 42nd anniversary of the police assault on the MOVE house in the city’s Powelton Village neighborhood.

[whifferdills]

QUESTION QUARANTINO PRESENTS:

tagged by @resting-meme-face gracias very mucho

a meme! they still make those! i thought it was just quizzes now lmao

when was the last time you left your home?

had a walk earlier today, which was nice if kind of dicey being a sunny sunday. once i get out of my immediate neighborhood i can p safely bounce around without passing more than a handful of people so long as i avoid anything you might call “scenic” (full disclosure i did dip onto MLK drive briefly but that was a, how you say, Mistake. Powelton Village and that shitty bike path going up towards Parkside along the river remains depressingly vacant though! Philly pro tip!)

what was the last thing you bought?

toothpaste (riveting!!)

is quarantine driving you insane or are you finally relaxed?

i’m eking out some inner peace here and there but on the whole folks i am uh. goin a lil crazy in the coconut

who are you spending quarantine with?

when i bought the toothpaste i also bought some peeps that came with a stuffed peep ? he’s blue and the bunny shape

do you have pets to keep you company?

i already told you about mr peep so :\

what are your current responsibilities?

truckin’ on i guess, keeping myself in one piece. eating my vegetables? finishing Doom Eternal? idk

do you have a room to yourself?

in the sense that i live alone in a studio apartment, yes, i have a room to myself lmao

are you exercising?

i’ve always made a point to stay somewhat active on my days off and now i have...all of the days off, so yeah. walks, bodyweight stuff, yoga, some twiddling a dumbbell around.

town, country, city?

city but neighborhood - you know the MOVE bombing? i don’t live there but like, towards that area. urban but there are trees and parks, that kind of thing

how’s your toilet paper supply?

the CVS was out of everything but the fancy expensive stuff i never get; my anus has never felt so luxurious

what’s the worst thing that you had to cancel?

i don’t really plan stuff where like tickets to things are involved so at the risk of sounding horribly sad uh: nothing

what’s the best thing you’ve had to cancel?

closing FOH saturday nights. i mean i miss the money but not the stress u feel

who do you miss the most?

@resting-meme-face​ ok yeah Boba tea for me too. and then i miss ramen, and going to places, and interacting with people in real life? i just realized this asks “who” not “what” whatever too late

do you have any new hobbies?

i’m a serial hobby-haver so idk what would be both new and within my means at this point.

what are you watching the most?

Hermitcraft - i mean yes i am fully a minecraft nerd, but the mix of comedy, charmingly amateurish storylines, and people accomplishing tasks both impressive and pointless has really been hitting the spot for me. also there’s a shitwhack of it so it’s good for like, endless background noise

are you still going to work?

nah i’ve been laid off since this shit started. its for the best but also this vacation fuckin sucks

what are you out of?

i’m approaching the end of my multivitamins but like i JUST went to the CVS for toothpaste and Mr Peep so i’m waiting to see if i can’t combine that need with another need

have you made any changes to your hair during quarantine?

no but like tbf my hair always looks this stupid. like i have cut it and dyed it since the apocalypse started but like...i already owned the clippers and dye so

Tagging: you! if you want to do this, i want you to do this, so i can read it, and you can write it, and we can both have a nice little activity, and won’t that be fun