By any standard, going from community college student to White House social secretary in just six years is the stuff of which dreams are made. And Deesha Dyer would probably be pinching herself, if she had the time.

Dyer, however, is too busy doing her job, which could arguably be described as the political arena’s most important events planner. Just last week, she and her team arranged for President Obama to welcome Pope Francis on the South Lawn; planned for him to host President Xi Jinpig of China; and then organized a state dinner for the Chinese president and hundreds of other VIPs.

No worries, though. Judging from the hug she received from First Lady Michelle Obama afterward, everything went off without a hitch.

Dyer, 37, who graduated from Community College of Philadelphia with an associate's degree in Women’s Studies, is only the second African American woman to hold the position of White House social secretary. The first was the glamorous Desiree Rogers, a Harvard MBA whose sparkling resume and rarefied circle of friends made her just as likely to attend a White House event than to coordinate one. That’s so different than Dyer, who likes to refer to herself as a "regular" person from West Philadelphia.

“I want people to see that they, too, can be here,” she said, in an exclusive interview with a video crew from Community College of Philadelphia, her alma mater. “They see people like me, regular people, working here, and that means a lot.”

After attending the Milton Hershey School in rural Hershey, PA, a boarding school for low-income students, Dyer began her college career at the University of Cincinnati, but dropped out during her freshman year. “College is expensive,” she explained. “At the time, I just couldn’t afford it.”

Over the next 10 years, she worked in Philadelphia as an assistant at a real estate firm and as a freelance hip hop journalist writing for an alternative weekly. She traveled the world. However,  she realized she wanted more education, and figured age 29 was as good a time as ever to go back to school.

At Community College of Philadelphia, Dyer finally found the financial resources she needed to keep going and Women’s Studies,  a program of study that whetted her passion to learn about the impact of changing gender roles on personal identity, families, educational institutions, the workplace, and the civic and political world.

“The surprising thing about community college is that you have the same great community, the same student life center, the same challenges and successes as another college,” Dyer said. “It was a good decision for me to go back.”

Dyer epitomizes the power of community colleges to transform destinies, something her boss, President Obama, has made as one of the mainstays of his administration. Since taking office, the President has been on a mission to make community colleges stronger and more accessible, ensuring that they deliver educational opportunities for millions of Americans each year.

It was at Community College of Philadelphia where Dyer applied for the White House internship that would change her professional life. She’s enjoyed a steady ascent since arriving as an intern at the White House in 2009 at the age of 31, working in the scheduling office before being named deputy social secretary in 2013. She was promoted to social secretary in May 2015.

“From the day Deesha started in the Social Office, she impressed me with her passion, creativity, public-mindedness and relentless competence , “ said First Lady Michelle Obama. “Deesha has worked tirelessly to truly make the White House the ‘People’s House.’”

When she is outside of the White House, Dyer works just as hard, mentoring young girls and boys, and volunteering in Washington and Philadelphia. Her message typically focuses on the importance of giving back.

“You never know who you’re going to inspire or how you’re going to it. You do it by just spending the time,” Dyer said. “Community involvement and mentoring is at the core of who I am.”

In September 2015, Community College of Philadelphia added Dyer’s profile to its ongoing series of celebrated alumni that includes Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer; noted Philadelphia urologist Dr. Joseph Williams and his wife, Dr. Gwendolyn Williams, an educational consultant; and Haywood Bell, the Chief Diversity Officer for Raytheon Company.

In the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college experience. “We will not fill those jobs – or keep those jobs on our shores – without the training offered by community colleges,” President Obama has said.

Deesha Dyer's story demonstrates that community colleges have talent well worth America's investment. 

President Donald Guy Generals kicked off the College’s 50th year by posing a question to the faculty and staff assembled in the Winnet Student Life Building for Fall Professional Development Opening Session August 31.

“Do we want to be good?” Dr. Generals asked, “Or do we want to be great?”

The question is drawn from his listening tour, as he has tuned in on the conversations that will shape the direction of the College over the next 50 years.

His takeaways? The College is widely viewed as part of a vibrant and historical fabric of the city, and cited as one of the most important institutions in Philadelphia.

However, there are some who believe the College should stay the course and continue along the current lines of progress. Others believe the headwinds of change will batter higher education institutions, which will face an ambiguous future unless they change course.

“Over the course of the year, I am hoping we can address this and see what degree we need to change, if at all. Or whether or not we need to double down on the effort we are currently doing," Dr. Generals said.

What’s clear is the College needs to be more prominent in workforce and career development. “We need to be the go to institution,” he said. My vision is that it is more than workforce development. It really is about having an economic impact in this great city of ours and being at the table.“

At the end of his first year, Dr. Generals reorganized the College in an effort to blend academics with tools for student success. “I did not submerge academic affairs under student affairs,” he said, adding that student success and academic affairs have taken on added importance as they are creating stronger alliances and an environment that is beneficial to student learning.”

"It's not enough for students to know things. They have to apply it in purposeful ways to issues they care about,” said Carol Geary Schneider, president of the Association of American College and Universities who spoke at in-service.

For the coming academic year, the College will move into a new phase of collaboration as efforts get underway to hold an organized conversation regarding guided pathways and new ways to deepen student learning. Dr. Generals plans to establish a President’s Council to create a vehicle for organized conversation. Volunteers are being sought to help with this initiative.

“We shuffled the deck a little bit,” Dr. Generals said. “Do we aspire to be the best? And if we want to be the best, does that assume we continue to do what we’ve been doing?”

Dr. Generals emphasized that hat the College must continue to strengthen assessment of student learning outcomes and use data to reflect, make changes and improve the curriculum.

By Dec. 1, 2015 the College must report on its progress in meeting Standard 14 to the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

“My appeal to everyone is to make sure we do whatever we can do to assess student learning outcomes,” Generals said. "The assessment process requires that we identify the type of assessment you want to do and, in a very direct way, determine if what you are teaching is benefiting the students acquiring that knowledge."

In other business, the president also provided additional updates:
The state budget still has not been passed, leaving the College and other nonprofits in limbo. The College must identify bold ways to sustain itself for the next 50 years and beyond, he said. The College intends to enrich civic engagement, which integrates community-based learning and reinforces the skills and knowledge acquired in the classrooms.

For the first time, Community College of Philadelphia has created a course that allows students to use one of the world’s finest collections of Post-Impressionist and Early Modern paintings as their textbooks.

Art 101 will be offered at the Barnes Foundation during an accelerated 10-week term, with the first class beginning Tuesday, October 6. Subsequent classes will run Mondays through December 19, 2015.

Each Monday, students will have access to the Renoirs, Cézannes and Picassos of the renowned collection. The class runs from 4:10 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Barnes, 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with class time equally divided between the classroom and the galleries. The course will offer a primer on how to enter into a discourse about art and realize its cultural value.

Course instructor Brian Seymour, associate professor of Art History at Community College of Philadelphia, has examined Dr. Albert C. Barnes, founder of the Barnes Foundation, as part of his doctoral research on art collectors at the turn of the 20th century. Seymour says the class is designed for and open to all art lovers, not just students from the College, and it builds upon Dr. Barnes' desire to make his impressive collection accessible to all. Seymour said the close proximity of the Barnes gives Community College of Philadelphia students and guest students an opportunity to engage with a renowned art collection just blocks away from the College’s Main Campus.

Dr. Sarah Iepson, Art department chair at Community College of Philadelphia, shares Seymour’s excitement. “We have had partnerships with other museums but up to this point we hadn't figured out how to engage with the Barnes Collection. It’s a fantastic opportunity for the College,” she said.

“Dr. Barnes’ philosophy was that the collection be an educational institution – he wanted his art to educate people,” Seymour added. “Community College of Philadelphia is for the people. It’s the perfect location to host this course.”

The three-credit course fulfills a Humanities elective and is transferable to most four-year institutions. Tuition for the class varies by residency; Philadelphia residents pay $153 per credit hour or $459; other Pennsylvanians pay more.

Shawn Jorden faced daunting roadblocks and abrupt detours on the road to earning a college degree. He dealt with a lack of housing and health care, as well as the financial struggles that often accompany unemployment.

At Community College of Philadelphia, Jorden discovered two places that were set up to help him and his peers be more successful in college and in life:  The Center for Male Engagement and Single Stop USA, a national, one-stop resource that partners with the College to connect students with additional financial resources and social services.

Jorden first connected with  the Center for Male Engagement, a program  created to assist African-American males and other underserved populations with skills to help them succeed inside and outside of class. The center provides academic support, leadership development and life skills training. In addition, he met people who treated him like family: Kevin Convington who would later become his mentor, as well as Derrick Perkins, the director of the program.

"The first semester was kind of rocky and then my second semester I kind of started to pull things together," Jorden said. "I started to have a clear mind when talking to Derrick and Kevin, who were motivating me."

The Center for Male Engagement then referred him to Single Stop, where Jorden found information on addressing life challenges and how and where to get a job. Single Stop also helped him develop a plan for financial success and apply for benefits. “We empower students to develop a plan for their lives based on their needs and take the lead on following through with their goals,” said Paula Umaña, Single Stop’s Project Director at the College.

Single Stop helped Shawn with his resume, which helped him in secure a paid work-study job. It also provided credit counseling, helped him craft a long-term financial plan, and provided experts to help with his tax returns. After many attempts and denials, Shawn was finally approved for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and later for Medicaid, after its partial expansion.

When Shawn walked across the stage on May 2 to pick up his degrees in Psychology and Liberal Arts, he had secured much more than a plan for the next stage of life. He gained new life skills and the confidence to fulfill his educational goals.

"I would like to see myself walking across that stage again, and I am capable of that," said Jorden who now plans to pursue a bachelor's degree.

It’s not every day you get a national shout-out from the President of the United States, especially when you’re just an ordinary guy from Philly who’s had some run-ins with the law.

But, as President Obama noted in a revelatory speech to the NAACP on criminal justice reform last week, Jeff Copeland’s determination helps him to stand apart. A formerly incarcerated Philadelphian, he received his associate’s degree, earning high honors, and is now working to complete his bachelor’s degree at Temple University.

Copeland used the Reentry Support Project (RSP) of the Fox Rothschild Center for Law & Society to guide him toward his path. Since 2010, the Reentry project has served over 500 students with criminal records seeking services to help them achieve their academic goals. In 2011, RSP established the REACH College Program to provide a select group of currently and formerly incarcerated men and women with wrap-around support services during their first academic semester. In 2014-2015, REACH enrolled 121 students, and 98 percent of those completed the semester and remained eligible for continuing enrollment. As of summer 2015, REACH has served 180 students.

Admittedly, Copeland would not have the confidence to stay the academic course if not for Tara Timberman, founder and coordinator of the Reentry Support Project. Timberman recruited Copeland to the College while he was still incarcerated. With her support, he was able to alleviate the fears he had about returning to school.

“She held my hand,” Copeland said. “At no point did she say ‘This is too much’ or ‘I’m too busy.’ The Reentry Project enabled me to stand up for myself.”

When President Obama addressed the NAACP in Philadelphia on July 14, he mentioned the College’s Reentry project and shared Copeland’s recent achievements. It was a meaningful moment for Copeland and Timberman, both of whom were seated near the front of the stage.

In addition, Copeland, who had served time for DUI, was invited to meet Obama privately before his speech, along with three other local ex-offenders.

As Vinny Vella, a reporter for the Daily News aptly summed it up: “The discussion was equal parts serious and silly, with thoughtful debates about prison policy interspersed with banter about basketball: Copeland, noting that five men were sitting together, offered to take Obama down to a court in South Philly, where he "was sure we could find five guys to take us on.”

And to think Copeland was once nicknamed “Running Man” after the popular '80's dance because he was running in place and going nowhere fast. Now he’s taking pictures with President Obama and feeling comfortable enough to joke around with him. It’s heady stuff.

"It feels like I’m intoxicated,” he said, “without taking a drink.”

When Kathleen Hetherington first mentioned that she might enroll at Community College of Philadelphia, a teacher at West Philadelphia Catholic Girls High School tried to discourage her.

Back then, community colleges were not always on the radar.

Yet, somehow they still have managed to attract top talent like creative genius Walt Disney,  movie star Tom Hanks, American journalist Jim Lehr, and a girl from Southwest Philly, Kathleen Hetherington, who went on to become president of Howard Community College in Columbia, MD, and her alma mater’s 2015 commencement speaker.

“To paraphrase the famous actor Tom Hanks, also a community college graduate, ‘Community college made me what I am today,’” said Dr. Hetherington during Community College of Philadelphia’s May 2 commencement at Temple University’s Liacouras Center. “If it were not for the excellent education that I received and the experience I had as an employee of the College, I would not be standing before you today. So I am very grateful to the community college system, but my enthusiasm is more about what I’ve seen community colleges do for others. I have seen lives transformed. All of you who are graduating today have experienced that transformation.”

In Philadelphia, the Community College of Philadelphia Class of 2015 had 2,081 candidates for graduation. Four College employees, 25 international students, and 40 veterans were among this year’s class. Times are so different now, Dr. Hetherington told them.

Community colleges are a first option for a growing number of students seeking a path to the Ivy League or to top colleges and universities such as Temple, La Salle and Drexel. Four students in the College’s Class of 2015 already have been accepted to the University of Pennsylvania.

“For many students, community colleges are their first choice.  But they are also the place where people get a ‘second chance.’ Perhaps life intervened, or another college wasn’t a good fit, or maybe it wasn’t their time, but community colleges are the place where people get that rarest of things—a second chance—and it happens each and every day.”

Dr. Hetherington, who received an honorary degree during the ceremony from Community College of Philadelphia's president, Dr. Donald Guy Generals, then shared some advice to the graduates who will scatter as some enter new careers and others transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

Her personal rules for success?  Always dream big. Never underestimate the value of hard work. Face your fears. And stop worrying about what people think about you; most of the time they are thinking about themselves.

Student speaker Charlene Hoffman, a 57-year old mother of three and honor student who plans to teach theater to children, offered advice as well: Give back to the community. “We have a responsibility to our communities, to the world, no matter our majors or aspirations,” said Hoffman. “We must challenge ourselves to be engaged in our communities by giving back. Each one should teach one. The challenge is to take the connections we made, our unique passions, and take our degrees and do something positive and significant with them.”

Also during the ceremony, Dr. Generals announced that Dr. Sarah Iepson, associate professor of art, was the winner of the 2015 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award, established by the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation. As the honoree, Iepson will deliver a celebrated lecture during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Nearly 1,000 dignitaries, family, staff and students gathered at Congregation Rodeph Shalom on May 1 to witness the installation of Dr. Donald Guy Generals as the sixth president of Community College of Philadelphia.

The ceremony came weeks after Dr. Generals—a man who stumbled upon his own career path while tutoring at his local community college—announced the creation of the College’s groundbreaking 50th Anniversary Scholars Program. The scholarship, which starts in the fall, will expand access and opportunity by covering the cost of tuition not covered by federal or state financial aid for up to three years for some highly motivated low-income graduates from Philadelphia high schools.

The festivities began in the morning with a colorful cultural procession from the Main Campus. Hundreds of faculty and staff clad in regalia and students walked together. Some held up the 47 flags from the home countries of the College’s international students, who come from around the world to enroll.

Once that group entered Rodelph Shalom, the academic procession began as 39 delegates from regional colleges and universities, about 200 faculty and administrators, and the presidential party opened the investiture service.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and State Rep. James R. Roebuck, Jr., both members of the College’s Board of Trustees, were among the members of the Presidential party. Dr. Ronald J. Temple, the third president of Community College of Philadelphia and its first African American president, also joined the festivities.

The event had a distinctive community feel to it as students sang alongside faculty, staff, and singers from the larger community in The Concert Choir of Community College of Philadelphia. Led by Robert Ross, Director and Chair of the College’s Music Department, the group sang in harmony.  Music was a feature throughout the ceremony, as well as at the Celebration on the Skyline following the event. Dr. Generals, himself a musician, has played the drums at College events and believes that the arts enrich learning and inspire creativity. Thus the soulful sounds of the Jazz Ensemble of Community College of Philadelphia, led by Anthony Ferrara, filled the air before the installation service.

In his inaugural remarks, Dr. Generals spoke of the lasting economic and cultural impact of Community College of Philadelphia, which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary.

Since its founding, the College has served as a pipeline where talent flows freely into industries and city departments, including the Philadelphia Police and Fire departments and health care industries, Dr. Generals noted. For example, Louis Giorla, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Prison System; Captain Verdell Johnson commanding the 39th District; Lancaster, PA Police Chief Keith Sadler; and Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Derrick Sawyer are all alumni.

Over the last five decades, more than 54,000 students have graduated from Community College of Philadelphia. “Beyond our most celebrated graduates, there are thousands who have learned the lessons of civility, who have studied and embraced the core values of our humanities, and who have used their talents of critical inquiry to examine the problems in our communities, resulting in healthier neighborhoods,” Dr. Generals said. “We have made great citizens. We have made responsible parents. We have made Philadelphia one of the best places in the world to visit and one of the best places to live.”

The city’s renaissance has been fueled, in part, by affordable educational options provided by the College, Dr. Generals said. He cautioned, however, that the poverty rate—as high as 28 percent in some estimates—threatens recent progress. “The renaissance will screech to a halt unless we find ways to include those stuck in the 28 percent who continue to wallow in poverty and despair,” he said.

In closing, Dr. Generals mentioned the recent riots and unrest in impoverished areas of Baltimore, and offered a call to action.

“I am asking that you join me and our community partners to lead the city and pave the way for the 28 percent in our community who continue to live in poverty and seek a way out.  I am asking you to embrace the possibility that what we do is a matter of social justice. I am asking you to join me in making Community College of Philadelphia the number one community college in America,” Dr. Generals said.

President Donald Guy Generals convened a second all-College meeting on March 16, updating the College community on important issues relating to student success.

A crowd filled Bonnell Auditorium for the town-hall style gathering, which was also video-streamed for employees in the West, Northwest and Northeast Regional Centers. While on stage, Dr. Generals rolled up his shirt sleeves and used a lapel microphone that allowed him to move around and interact with the crowd.

Among the topics Dr. Generals highlighted:

• The amazing season for the Colonials men's basketball team and Coach Joe Rome. The Colonials played in the NJCAA Division III Championships in Loch Sheldrake, N.Y., where Rafiq Johnson was named to the all-tournament team. They made it to the national championship in their first year of NJCAA playoff eligibility. Moreover the Colonials head coach Joe Rome was named the Doug Yennie Coach of the Year for leading his squad to a final overall record of 25-2 during the regular season and regional play.
• The importance of student learning assessment activities and strategies, which enable the College community to monitor and broaden student success. A team from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education will visit the College March 31 to April 1 to review these efforts. Last year, a Middle States accreditation team found the College compliant on 13 of 14 accreditation standards. The College was directed to submit additional documentation in the area of student assessment. While a team has worked to pull together materials and connect the entire community to learning assessment efforts, the College remains fully accredited.
• A proposal to offer 50th Anniversary Scholarships to help students who graduate from a Philadelphia high school pursue an associate’s degree full time at Community College of Philadelphia with no cost for tuition and fees. “We really feel strongly about moving students to full-time enrollment and having them have a structured experience here that doesn’t allow them to flounder...and enables them to graduate,” Dr. Generals said.
• A decision to hire five new, full-time student advisors in the FY 2015-2016 budget. Advisors provide critical support and academic guidance to students so they can stay on track toward credential and degree completion.
• Dr. Generals updated the College community on the budget process for FY 2015-2016. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter have proposed additional funding for the College in their budgets. Wolf’s budget would give the state’s 14 community colleges an additional $15 million, of which the College would receive about $1.9 Million, Dr. Generals said. Mayor Nutter has recommended to City Council the College receive an additional $3.4 million in operating and capital dollars. Dr. Generals urged the College community to support the proposed increases, which will position the College to forgo a tuition increase for next fall. The funding levels proposed also would enable the College to expand and strengthen classroom instruction and student support services; address facility upgrades; develop customized training for businesses and align with the K-12 curriculum to expand high school partnerships.

Many Americans today think of their pets as loving companions and family members, though American law still views them as property, according to Nadia S. Adawi, Esq., an attorney who specializes in animal law and serves as Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Animal Law Committee.

These opposing views, at times, result in heartbreak for pet lovers. For instance, if a pet owner were to sue after a dog or cat has been injured by a groomer or pet sitter, and win, he or she might expect to receive market value for their beloved pet which, for an aging shelter dog, may add up to no more than a few dollars.

From Feb. 23-27, the Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society at Community College of Philadelphia held its 16th Annual Law and Society Week, which included a session, “Is the Law Going to the Dogs?” The session examined how the law is struggling to catch up with the rapidly evolving view of animals by society. More than 100 students, faculty and guests at Community College of Philadelphia packed an auditorium on Feb. 24 to consider the changing legal landscape in the nation, and how it might affect their pets.

Currently, about 68 percent of American households have a pet. There are 179 million cats and dogs living in American homes, according to the Humane Society of the United States. With the U.S. population tipping 319 million in 2014, that’s an abundant supply of pets. Consider that, in 2014, the population of humans—a.k.a. pet companions—was 12.7 million in Pennsylvania; 26.96 million in Texas and 6.5 million in Tennessee.

As pets have been transformed into celebrities, people walkers, therapy animals and guides, complex legal issues have begun to arise, Adawi says:

• Seventy-one percent of pet-owning women entering women’s shelters reported that their batterer had injured, maimed, killed or threatened family pets for revenge or to psychologically control victims. Still, many domestic abuse shelters don’t accept pets, Awari says, making their choices difficult. Between 25 percent and 40 percent of battered women are unable to escape abusive situations because they worry about what will happen to their pets or livestock should they leave.
• People are creating trusts so their pets will be provided for after they die. The care of pets is becoming more important in estate law. Pet protection agreements, which are less expensive than trusts and allow people to name pet guardians, are gaining in popularity.
• Divorcing couples are fighting over pets and, in some cases, custody hearings have been held to determine where the pet will live after a couple splits. There are not pre-pup agreements (at least not yet), Awai says, but divorce courts are delving deeper into animal issues.

The laws under discussion right now will shape the direction of animal laws and are watched closely, she says. In Pennsylvania alone, 33 animal-related bills were introduced last session in the General Assembly. One of them, House Bill 1750, prohibited the raising or killing of

cats and dogs for human consumption. The measure won approval in the state Senate, but later was buried in the House Rules Committee.

A standoff developed after an amendment was attached to the bill prohibiting pigeon shoots, where captive birds are released and shot. At that point, the National Rifle Association joined the debate and legislators let the measure expire. The NRA called the proposed ban of ‘pigeon shoots’ a slippery slope, and said it could open the door to more restrictions on hunting.

Afterwards, people around the country poked fun at the state, after headlines blared: “It is still perfectly legal to cook your dog in Pennsylvania.”

Since animals are considered by law to be property, much like a chair or a table, they don’t have rights, Adawi says. Not now, at least. Some animal rights groups are hard at work trying to change that attitude, however.

New laws and court rulings are changing the petscape constantly, Adawi says, providing a “good way of looking at where we might be going in the future.”

During the Fox Rothschild Center for Law and Society’s 16th Annual Law and Society Week (Feb. 23-27) at Community College of Philadelphia, panelists took on a topic that has haunted the city for decades: What were the lessons learned—and the lessons yet to be learned—from the deadly MOVE bombing on May 13, 1985?

The goal was to foster a better understanding of the aftermath of the two clashes between the MOVE Organization and the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) in both 1978 and 1985, and explore the lingering effects it has had on America’s fifth largest city.

“Knowing our history, including our controversial, messy history, is the duty of every citizen,” said Kathleen M. Smith, J.D., Fox Rothschild Center director. “By looking at MOVE, the confrontations and the history, we do come away with a deeper understanding of our society and ourselves. This is not an easy topic, but it's a critically important one and one which Community College of Philadelphia is uniquely positioned to take on.”

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the confrontation. In 1985, MOVE and the police made headlines after PPD authorities dropped an explosive device onto the roof of MOVE’s home in an attempt to end an armed standoff. The explosion and ensuing fire killed 11 people (five children, six adults) and destroyed more than 60 homes on the 6200 block of Osage Avenue in West Philadelphia.

Hundreds of people attended the College’s MOVE-related panels throughout the week, including Ramona Africa, MOVE’s minister of information and the only living survivor of the 1985 bombing.

The most spirited discussion unfolded during a Feb. 25 panel featuring Africa, Let It Burn authors Randi and Michael Boyette, and Jason Osder, filmmaker of “Let the Fire Burn.” It was moderated by Temple University Journalism Professor Linn Washington, who covered both the 1978 and 1985 events for media outlets worldwide.

Africa described the MOVE Organization, which still exists and today has a website, as a “revolutionary organization.” She took exception with those who have labeled the group, over the years, as violent and cult-like.

Africa said the fault for the 1985 confrontation lies squarely with the Philadelphia Police Department and City of Philadelphia officials who sought to eliminate the entire MOVE Organization.

“This was an attempt, a plan, to kill,” Africa said. “Not to arrest, but to kill. You don’t need to go past the fact that a bomb was dropped on our home, a bomb that ignited a fire…When we realized that our house was on fire, we attempted to get ourselves, our children, and our animals

out of that blazing inferno. We were met with a barrage of police gunfire that forced us back into the house several times…They (the police) came out there to Osage Avenue with a plan to kill, not to arrest.”

No representatives of former Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode or the Philadelphia Police Department were in attendance at this week’s sessions. However, Goode historically took exception to MOVE’s characterization of the actions. He was adamant the city had no other choice. “As Mayor of this city I accept full and total responsibility,'' Goode said on the evening of May 13, 1985. ‘‘There was no way to avoid it. No way to extract ourselves from that situation except by armed confrontation.”

Panelist Randi Boyette noted that clashes between citizens and police still exist today, and have escalated with the recent killings of unarmed African-American men by police in Ferguson, MO, and Staten Island, N.Y. Some participants, and audience members, wondered how the lessons of MOVE could inform today’s police-community debate.

The MOVE discussion was eye-opening for many of the College’s students in the audience, including those who had not been born when the group’s clashes with police took place. “I think many of the students are touched because Philadelphia is our home and the fact that something as awful as that happened in our city is a tragedy,” said Fiona O’Neill, a Culture Science & Technology major. “I hope that we’ve learned that violence doesn’t result in anything good and that fighting with each other isn’t a way to solve problems…I think that what we have learned is that people need to be more accepting of one another. We are all entitled to our rights and beliefs.”

The MOVE Organization is a Philadelphia-based, Black liberation group founded in 1972 by the late John Africa. In 1978, Philadelphia police officers had their first clash with MOVE when police raided the group’s Powelton Village home, resulting in the imprisonment of nine MOVE members and the death of police officer James Ramp. None of the nine was identified as the person who fatally shot Ramp.

Eight MOVE members remain in jail today as a result of the 1978 incident. One of the so-called MOVE Nine, Phil Africa, died in a Pennsylvania prison in January 2015.

On another panel featuring journalists who had covered MOVE as the tragedy unfolded, panelists said the local media have made efforts over the past decades to probe deeper into this conflict and to provide fresh insights into how things went so wrong.

Members of the media panel said they had heard complaints from Osage Avenue neighbors against MOVE’s behavior and lifestyle for months leading up to the 1985 incident. None of them felt that they had been used by government officials, as Ms. Africa charged this week, to create a negative public impression of the MOVE Organization.

Bill Marimow, executive editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer, said the Inquirer probably should have paid more attention to what was happening to the Osage Avenue neighborhood in the years leading up to the bombing.

“The fact that we didn’t pay attention to that consistently, in my opinion, probably created less pressure on first the (William) Green (mayoral) administration and then the Goode administration to address the issues prior to the tragic events of May 13, 1985,” he said.

“In my opinion, it (the 1985 MOVE bombing) was the most significant urban tragedy and public policy travesty in my lifetime and in the last century,” said Marimow, who was an Inquirer reporter on that date. “It was a total disaster, in my opinion, in terms of public officials’ responsibility to protect citizens and their well-being.”

Chivonne Green, an Architecture and Interior Design student at the College, said she attended the various Law and Society Week events to learn more about the 1985 MOVE confrontation.

She was only four-years old in 1985, but said the discussion on the 1978 and 1985 MOVE confrontations provided some greater insights into the issues of today.

“I hope what students got the most out of this was an understanding of different perspectives,” she said. “Not just looking at it from the MOVE perspective, not just looking at it from the public figures’ point-of-view, but looking at it from all sides and being able to come up with a rational decision about what could have been done differently and what could happen moving forward.”