Africa family members demand Penn Museum return MOVE bombing remains
Members of the Africa family are demanding action after a revelation that Penn Museum has discovered more remains tied to the 1985 MOVE bombing.
Mike Africa Jr. was joined by other family members as well as City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier Monday to demand the museum to return the remains of 12-year-old Delisha Africa and other MOVE bombing victims.
Last month, Penn Museum announced it had discovered additional remains. The remains were discovered during an inventory review of the museum's Biological Anthropology Section, according to the museum.
"It is unconscionable that three years later, three years later, the Penn Museum is still in possession of a young Black child's remains because they didn't take this seriously," Gauthier said.
The discovery marks another chapter in the longstanding saga surrounding the handling of the remains from the 1985 MOVE tragedy.
The MOVE bombing happened in 1985 at its headquarters on Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia. Delisha Africa was among the five children killed in the bombing, along with six adults.
In 2021, Penn Museum officials acknowledged they were in possession of the remains of some MOVE victims.
Penn Museum said in a statement last month it is in contact with the Africa family and the human remains were identified during "ongoing inventory work."
Penn Museum also said it's committed to full transparency with respect to any new evidence that may emerge.