Penn Museum says staff discovered it another set of human remains believed to belong to 12-year-old Delisha Africa, one of the victims of the 1985 MOVE bombing in West Philadelphia. The remains were discovered during an inventory by the museum’s Biological Anthropology department, according to the museum.
The remains are believed to belong to 12-year-old Delisha Africa, who was one of five children and six adults killed in the Philadelphia police bombing of the MOVE complex on Osage Avenue.
A spokesperson for the Penn Museum said in a statement:
“In 2021, as all known remains of the 1985 MOVE tragedy were returned to the Africa family, the Penn Museum apologized to our community and committed to a rigorous reassessment of institutional practices. This included a comprehensive inventory of our Biological Anthropology Department, and a commitment to investigate any new information that emerges.
“This work has led to the uncovering of a new set of MOVE remains, and this information has been passed on to the Afrika family.
“Confronting our institutional history requires an ever-evolving examination of how we can maintain museum practices to the highest ethical standards. Centering human dignity and the wishes of descendant communities informs the current treatment of human remains in the care of the Penn Museum. “
More details about the discovery of the remains can be found on the museum’s website.
The discovery marks a new chapter in the long-standing saga surrounding the handling of the remains of the 1985 MOVE tragedy.
In 2021, Penn Museum and Princeton University previously owned another set of relics used in classrooms. The museum apologized to the Afrika family and the public in 2021.
