‘Mad or nah?’: Philly residents react to Penn’s storage of MOVE childrens’ remains
Tamara Russell, aka P.O.C., hit the streets to hear what Philadelphians are saying about the news that Penn Museum had stored and studied the remains of MOVE children.
Listen 4:34
Protesters demonstrated in April outside Penn Museum over its handling of MOVE bombing victims' remains. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
The 1985 state-sanctioned bombing of the MOVE compound in West Philadelphia is often regarded as one of the most egregious acts of police brutality recorded in American history.
More than 30 years later, the MOVE bombing remains a relevant topic of conversation, even more so as of late.
It was revealed in April that the University of Pennsylvania kept remains thought to belong to children killed in the police bombing for decades, unbeknownst to the family. The remains were also used for teaching purposes.
Outrage ensued, as did a protest on the university’s campus. The University of Pennsylvania eventually issued an apology for “allowing human remains recovered from the MOVE house to be used for research and teaching, and for retaining the remains for far too long.”
Tamara Russell, aka P.O.C., hit the streets of Philadelphia to further explore how Philadelphians were feeling about this story, which garnered international attention.
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Tamara Russell is a partner in WHYY’s News and Information Community Exchange, a mutual-aid journalism collaborative that organizes, supports, and develops grassroots content creators.
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Part of the series
Mad or nah?
‘Mad or Nah?’ is an original woman-on-the-street interview series from Revive Radio that asks Philadelphians about issues impacting their everyday life.
Part of the series
N.I.C.E. Stories
Collaborative journalism from WHYY and our partners in the News & Information Community Exchange (N.I.C.E.) initiative.
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