John Africa

John Africa (July 26, 1931 – May 13, 1985), born Vincent Leaphart, was the founder of MOVE, a Philadelphia-based, self-proclaimed predominantly black organization active from the early 1970s and still active. He was killed during an armed standoff in 1985 with the Philadelphia Police Department.

Born Vincent Leaphart on July 26, 1931, in the Mantua neighborhood of West Philadelphia. His father, Frederick Leaphart was a handyman while his mother Lennie Mae, was a homemaker. He was one of ten children. Lennie Mae would died suddenly in her early 40s. Africa would later blame the hospital for her death. As a child, doctors remarked that he was "painfully thin" and underweight. By age 9, educators determined that he be transferred to a school for slow learners to learn simple trades. He would continue to stuggle in school and drop out at age 16.

Drafted by the US Army during the Korean War, Leaphart would serve over a year in an infantry unit. He would later remark on the contrast between the sunrise over the Korean mountains and the ugly gunfire of war. Upon his return he met Dorothy Clark and they were married shortly thereafter at the age of 29. She would later describe their marriage as ordinary and friends described Leaphart as levelheaded and dependable, also noting that Dorothy would help him with his reading and writing skills.

In 1971 he moved his family to Powelton, a polyglot neighborhood in West Philadelphia, close to the University of Pennsylvania. Community Housing Inc., was a cooperative in which members pooled money together to buy a handful of buildings to live in with an idea to rebel against an oppessive society that bulldozed homes to make way to build more academic housing. Although the area had a large majority of acedemic residents, Leaphart was seen as eccentric yet tolerable as the area was diverse. Faced with foreclosure, the co-op stepped in and purchased his home so he could remain living there. In 1972, Leaphart changed his name to John Africa to represent the continent where life began.

Africa managed to attract people in Philadelphia area who were willing to believe in his ideologies. He later met Donald Glassey, a social worker from the University of Pennsylvania, who was so intrigued by Africa’s teachings that he volunteered to write and compile Africa’s thoughts into a book. Glassey's notes were eventually the basis of a document called "The Guidelines". With Glassey, Africa moved his new organization to a house on Pearl Street in West Philadelphia. After parting ways with Glassey due to differing ideology, Africa made "The Guidelines" the primary source for his teachings and the principles of MOVE, founded in 1972 as Christian Movement for Life. The Guidelines articulated teachings such as strict vegetarianism and the inherent value of all living things.

MOVE accepted members regardless of their past and taught lessons on corruption, racism, and the need for individuality in an increasingly technological society. Further, the organization protested animal cruelty in zoos, the education system, and police brutality. Consequently, the police engaged in heavy surveillance around members of MOVE. Let the Fire Burn, a documentary released in 2013, exposes this reality when a member of the Philadelphia police reveals that between 1972 and 1978, 193 arrests of MOVE members and 93 subsequent court cases occurred.

On August 8, 1978, the Philadelphia police attempted to evict the MOVE organization from their home on Pearl Street. Neither a formal notice nor a peaceful attempt were made before armed police surrounded the property, working with the false pretense that the organization housed automatic weapons. A standoff occurred, resulting in the death of one police officer and several injuries. Evidence suggests the officer was killed by friendly fire and yet nine MOVE members were arrested and the organization was forced from their home on Pearl Street. The home was immediately demolished and the MOVE 9 remain in prison today.

Glassey, after being found in possession of weapons, was later arrested. He implicated Africa and other MOVE members in various crimes. On July 23, 1981, in the Philadelphia federal court, Africa and his co-defendant Alfonso Africa (representing themselves) were tried and acquitted on weapons and conspiracy charges by a jury that deliberated for almost six days.

After MOVE and John Africa moved to a new location on Osage Ave. in West Philadelphia, law enforcement officials obtained permission from the Mayor's office to evict members of MOVE due to neighborhood complaints of obscenity. On May 13, 1985, they attempted to evict MOVE. The eviction developed into an armed standoff with MOVE.

During the raid, the Philadelphia Police Department head of bomb disposal, on board a Pennsylvania State Police helicopter, dropped a satchel containing a gel-based explosive on a fortified bunker occupied by members of MOVE. The resulting explosion started a fire that resulted in the destruction of 65 homes in the neighborhood. The order was given by city officials to "let the fire burn" and consequently members were not able to escape the home. There is a debate as to why this is that case; members of MOVE claim they were met by open fire outside the house. Participating officers claim this is incorrect.

The explosion, fire, and shootout killed most MOVE members, including Africa, five other adults and five children. Only Ramona and Birdie Africa survived, but both were severely burned. Birdie was released but Ramona was convicted and sentenced to serve a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison. She served the full time.

John Africa has been classified as an anarcho-primitivist. His teachings emphasized the importance of all life and the ways in which capitalism, war, racism, and other social forces serve as direct opposition to this reality. He encouraged strict vegetarianism, raw food, and communal living. According to MOVE's website, “John Africa despises prejudice, despised the man-made standard of inferior-superior,” and “John Africa teach MOVE people to believe in and love life, to understand the absolute necessity of life and protect all life equally, meaning all living beings (people, animals, water, soil, air)”.

Philadelphia activist Mumia Abu-Jamal has followed the teachings of John Africa, and was a supporter of the MOVE organization. During Abu-Jamal's 1982 murder trial for the death of a police officer, Abu-Jamal made repeated requests to be represented by Africa. The judge denied these requests as Africa was not a licensed attorney.