Chapter 1: The primary source of material for this and other chapters related to the events of May 13, 1985, was the evidence collected by the Philadelphia Special Investigating Commission (the MOVE Commission), now maintained by the Urban Archives Department at Temple University, Philadelphia. Additional material was collected from the news reports, videotapes, and interviews.
Chapter 2: Information on the history of Cobbs Creek came from historical sources and interviews with current and former residents of the neighborhood. Information about Louise James and Frank James came from news reports and Mrs. James’s testimony before the MOVE Commission.
Chapter 3: A key source of material on the origins of MOVE and the background of Vincent Leaphart was an article appearing in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Sunday supplement in 1986, entitled “Who Was John Africa?” It was supplemented by additional material from news reports and interviews of MOVE members and former residents of Powelton Avenue.
Chapters 4 and 5: Sources included testimony given to the MOVE Commission, law enforcement files provided to the MOVE Commission, eyewitnesses to the confrontation, and news reports.
Chapters 6 through 8: Most of the material in these chapters came from MOVE Commission files and testimony as well as interviews with police officers, neighbors, and MOVE members.
Chapters 9 through 11: Again, the MOVE Commission files and testimony were the primary sources of material; additional sources included news reports (where noted) and interviews.
Chapters 12 and 13: Sources included the MOVE Commission files, news reports and interviews, and an interview with Emerson Moran, who served as the communications officer of the commission, attended the deliberations, and wrote an article on them for Philadelphia Magazine.
Second Epilogue, 2013: The interview with Ramona Africa can be found on YouTube: “May 13, 1985 Remembered.” Angola 3 News. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8KPMVOxrks