MOVE ❤️ Anniversaries

Research Drop: What MOVE wants you to remember - and what they leave out.

Mike Africa Jr. (Michael Davis), like all MOVE spokespeople, was trained to take advantage of anniversary dates within MOVE’s version of MOVE history.

And when Mike posts publicly, it presents a fact-checking opportunity to share my ongoing research.

Yesterday, 06/15/26, Mike posted a tribute marking the anniversary of MOVE member Delbert Orr Africa's death.

1. Delbert Orr Africa was not accused of killing a police officer, he was convicted of the felony murder of police officer James Ramp and attempted murder of 7 other first responders (police and fire) on August 8, 1978. According to former members and internal MOVE correspondence, August 8th was an "activity" in which MOVE members understood they would either die or go to prison as part of “John Africa's strategy”.

2. Delbert had two daughters, not one and they both died while being cared for by being held by MOVE members while he and their mother, Janet Holloway Africa were in prison for killing James Ramp. Delisha Holloway, who was also called Melissa, was one of 14 MOVE children who had been removed by Child Protective Services in Richmond, VA, in 1980 but then abducted by MOVE members and held in the garage basement of 6221 Osage, which is where she died 5/13/85 at the age of 13. According to my sources, Delbert's youngest daughter, Shaeida Holloway, died at around age 5 and MOVE disposed of her body.

3. Mike’s tribute is focused on portraying Delbert as a strong MOVE member until the end with no other details. Delbert died a painful death at the age of 74 after battling metastatic prostate cancer that was first diagnosed while he was in prison. Delbert was very ill when he was paroled in Jan 2020. According to my sources from inside MOVE, Delbert’s final days were filled with physical pain, and at one point he told a lifelong MOVE member “it wasn’t worth it, meaning MOVE, and this was all a lie”.

   Today, Mike posted another anniversary tribute. This one is about his mother, Debbie (Sims) Davis “Africa”.

And so I wanted to share something else from MOVE history that also happened on this day, 42 years before Debbie (Sims) “Africa” was paroled.

June 16, 1976 - Philadelphia City Hall Courtroom #243

Dr. Gerald Goldin lived in Powelton Village, taught mathematics at UPENN, and personally knew MOVE’s two co-founders, Vinny (Vincent) Leaphart and Donald Glassey, because they were all part of a very small anti-gentrification housing co-op. Their cordial relationship changed when Vinny and Don stopped paying rent at 3207 Pearl Street and started The Christian Movement for Life (later MOVE) out of 307 N. 33rd Street.

The entire neighborhood soon found itself held hostage to MOVE’s increasingly bizarre and aggressive lifestyle: garbage, 60 dogs, rats, megaphones, threats, and eventually guns. Gerald Goldin was just one of many neighbors who vocalized concerns and became a target of MOVE harassment. When that harassment escalated to death threats, Goldin filed a police report, which is what this court appearance was about.

• Theodore Africa is Theodore Williams aka in MOVE as “Beebop”. Ted died under unusual circumstances a year later, in the summer of 1977.

• The green lines connect Debbie (Sims, now Davis aka "Africa") to biological family members who were also MOVE members. Laverne was Debbie's mother and one of Vincent's sisters. Gail and Dennis were two of Debbie's four siblings, all of whom were lured into MOVE as minors.

Anthony Africa = Anthony Beaman who was recruited into MOVE by his college buddy, Big Jerry Africa.

Conrad Africa is Conrad Hampton - long time MOVE member who recruited his cousin Eddie Goodman and his niece by marriage, Consuewella Dotson into MOVE. Conrad died on May 13, 1985.

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June 16.

One date.

Multiple truths. MOVE’s version of history is never the whole story.