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Yvettep
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 286
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 14, 2005 - 03:51 pm: | 
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Collection of special investigation commission findings, archived at Temple-- http://www.library.temple.edu/collections/urbana/psic-01.htm
USA Today slideshow-- http://www.usatoday.com/news/gallery/2005/05-12-move/flash.htm
Video, pics, and comment thread from Philly NBC affiliate-- http://www.nbc10.com/news/4482630/detail.html
Philly blog site, with additional resources and commentary-- http://phillyblog.com/philly/printthread.php?t=7540
Annother one of those sad, central events of my early adulthood. I was on the east coast in school at the time, with several friends (including a then beau) from Philadelphia. An incredible instance of Black on Black violence that is an enduring wound in the Black psyche... |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 2733
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 09:23 am: |
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'Vette,
Why do you refer to the MOVE tragedy as an "instance of Black on Black violence"? Because then Philadelphia Mayor Goode was Black? |
Yvettep
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 288
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 12:15 pm: |
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My perception was that people from Philly at the time--esp Black people--had a sense that all eyes were on them. Black mayor of a major city with extreme historical significance. America was just waiting for (hoping for?) failure.
It wasn't just that Goode was Black--this was a "chocolate" administration at every level. I can't remember now of the police chief (who allegedly ordered/OK'd the firing of MOVE members fleeing the fire, as well as helping to organize the "incendiary device" drop) and/or the fire chief (who held back on sending fire fighters in, reportedly to protect them from being shot at, but in the process allowing the fire to spread) were also Black. But I remember at the time it seemed that everyone in an official capacity that showed up on TV defending the administration's decisions was Black.
Granted, I do not, as some do, see MOVE as a neutral group. They were very likely in violation of all sorts of neighborhood "quality of life" standards (e.g., lots of stray dogs, too many people living in one house, sanitary and health code violations regarding slaughtering of live animals).
But also clear at the time was that this group was an embarrassment to this middle class Black community, and to this new Black administration. The gossip among my Philly friends was that the administration wanted to "get tough" with this group almost solely to prove something to the wider (and Whiter) country.
At any rate, like the Williams case in Atlanta this case, to me, revealed a kind of dilemma among the wider Black community. In the past it had always seemed like we were clear on who were the "good uys" and who were the "bad guys."
Criminall justice system? Bad guys. (e.g., railroading Black males, Till case, etc)
Serial murderers? Bad guys. (They were always White, right? Black folks don't do that. And a serial murderer of Black kids? Definitely bad guy.)
Black "militant" groups? Good guys. (Remember, even King and his followers were described--even by some Blacks--as radicals/militants/etc at the time. But also, groups like the Panthers of course.)
Black post-Reconstruction mayors, governors, etc? Good guys...
Both these cases turned all this on its head in ways that, I think, were uncomfortable for many Blacks to deal with. So we'd rather forget. And forgive. (e.g., Goode was re-elected despite this incident and the fumbling of the rebuilding efforts.) |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 2746
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 04:49 pm: |
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'Vette,
To be fair to the Philadelphia officials (Blacks included), I think that years prior to the bombing there had been some deadly history between MOVE and Philadelphia whereby MOVE members and a Philly police officer were killed.
So maybe the situation was exacerbated by that bad blood. |
Ancestry
Regular Poster
Username: Ancestry
Post Number: 27
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 15, 2005 - 05:21 pm: |
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Yvettep,
I think you are on the right track. Though, I think that if you take a closer look at history, the black mayor's behavior was consistent with that of other blacks throughout the diaspora, on various levels. One hopes that black people will not confuse one's skin complexion with loyalty to black people. |
West_africa
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: West_africa
Post Number: 96
Registered: 08-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 16, 2005 - 03:03 pm: |
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It is wrong to state that Mayor Goode did not and does not maintain significant loyalty to the interests of African-American realities.
It is a conclusion possible only if the particulars of the situation are not reviewed carefully. |
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