His name is Delbert Africa, a well-known member of the MOVE organization of Philadelphia. But if you’re in your twenties or thirties or even your forties, you may be forgiven if you don’t know the name.
That’s because he’s perhaps best known as the man who was brutally punched, kicked, rifle-butted, and stumped by police when he got arrested, and this happened long before the infamous Rodney King police beating in Los Angeles. That’s because Delbert was assaulted on video in August 1978, one of the earliest MOVE confrontations.
Africa, like other MOVE members, have taught younger prisoners in ways to appreciate and become closer to their families. That sense of service, which is deep in MOVE, doesn’t douse his fire. Listen for yourself.
“My name’s Delbert Africa from the MOVE organization. I just want to say the MOVE organization is a family of strong, serious, deeply committed revolutionaries founded by a wise perceptive, strategically minded black man named John Africa. John Africa took each and every MOVE member from the weak-bodied, fig, inactive, apathetic persons that we were and molded us into strong revolutionaries that are committed to doing away this eliminating this system: not reforming it, not changing the government, but eliminating this whole oppressive system.”
Delbert Africa is a revolutionary who’s just as steadfast in his belief as he was back in the seventies. That’s because he’s seen and experienced things that would astonish people. Remember that kicking and stomping I mentioned earlier? You ever wonder what happened to those cops caught on video? Well, in a word, nothing, but that’s a story for another day. Delbert Africa issues a call to all social, radical, and revolutionary movements to keep on fighting.
“What I’m here today, thanks to Noelle Hanrahan and Prison Radio, is a call for everybody else out there, I don’t care who you are, to become and stay revolutionary, because revolution is not a philosophy. It ain’t a theory. It’s an activity. If you still worshipping money, if you still doing drugs, if you abusing your mate, then you ain’t revolting against the system. You helping this system keep this same thing going. And what I’m saying is I want the eco-warriors to keep on fighting. I want Black Lives Matter to keep on revolting. I want the animal liberationists to keep on fighting. Those who are defending native lands out there in South Dakota against that oppressive pipeline, keep on fighting. Don’t let this system put you down. I want everybody in the LGBTQ community, keep on fighting. Don’t give in. This is what John Africa has taught MOVE: not to ever give in to this oppressive system. It don’t matter about jail. It don’t matter about prison. We know that we can keep on, and we won’t be stopped.”
Delbert Africa specifically sent his salute to the Black Lives Matter movement, adding that he loved those young folks. He ain’t alone in that.
From imprisoned nation, this is Mumia Abu-Jamal.
These commentaries are recorded by Noelle Hanrahan of Prison Radio.
![Prison Radio is sharing an abbreviated version of a press release covering recent racist incidents at SCI Rockview in PA and the organizing to demand accountability. We are reaching out to people incarcerated at Rockview as well as recently transferred folks, inviting them to call, in hopes of hearing commentaries from them.
Benner Township, PA.-
On November 24th, 2023, imprisoned people at SCI Rockview found two nooses hanging in the CO’s office, displayed visibly for many prisoners to see. When the prisoners asked the staff why the nooses were hung, they were told it was a joke.
By December 4th, prisoners filed a grievance to document what they saw, noting that the hanging of the nooses was “unethical, racially motivated, hateful, [a] deliberate debasement of black inmates" and “unsafe for inmates, staff, [and] the whole prison in general.” In the grievance, they demanded that Sgt. Mosser and CO Richard be fired and investigated for a hate crime, and for CO Kirchner to get therapy. Captain Andrews, the head of security, denied the grievance.
The sergeant and COs are still working in the prison to this day, with no repercussions...
As of March 10th, prisoners have reached out to Pennsylvania officials at the Dept. of Corrections in a letter campaign, sending 100 copies of the grievance. Copies of the letter also were mailed to Governor Shapiro, Senator Fetterman, Senator Street, and various advocacy groups. The demands for relief in the original grievance have now become the platform of demands for this campaign. About 20 of the 100 letters were withheld by the prison.
Activists on the outside are joining forces with prisoners to elevate their demands, flooding the phone lines of DOC offices, assisting with outreach to media, and circulating the stories of prisoners who have found unity in opposition to the facility's virulent institutional racism.
In any other workplace, hanging a noose would be grounds for immediate termination. However, Nicki Paul, the superintendent's assistant and "grievance coordinator" informed the public that they self-investigated their staff and found they did nothing wrong.
Read the full article at i
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