Black Bones Matter: Notes Toward a Radical Humanism in Anthropology

The Banality of Bones I n 1985, teenage sisters Delisha and Tree Africa lived in West Philadelphia, in a communal housing settlement founded by a revolutionary organisation known as MOVE. Originally called the "Christian Movement for Life" and renamed MOVE in the early 1970s, the group combined philosophies of Black nationalism and a lifestyle of raw foods, urban farming and opposition to modern science and capitalism. Founded by Vincent Leaphart (1931-85), later known as John Africa, MOVE was one of a range of Black consciousness groups advocating for communal living and green politics. However, on May 13, 1985, this community formation came to an end.