Decades after the MOVE bombing in West Philadelphia in 1985, the bodies of 11 victims were returned to African families.

In April last year, Mayor Jim Kenney learned that the then Health Commissioner Thomas Farley had inappropriately approved the cremation and removal of the remains of MOVE victims in 2017 without notifying the family.

For decades after the explosion, the municipal forensic office kept the remains and notified the health department of their existence. This caused an uproar in the community.

“The body can finally move and circulate freely in life with my mother,” said Janine Africa, a member of MOVE. Tell why“This is what we believe, everything belongs to mom.”

She said that mother is a collection of natural elements, or what others call “God”.

They went to the Terry Funeral Home in West Philadelphia and coordinated earlier this year Custody of the remains, Jenny said. The body was buried under a tree in Bartram Gardens, where the late MOVE member Consuewella Africa wanted to scatter her ashes.

With the news that the bodies of MOVE victims were found, Farley resigned. Philadelphia officials Announced on Monday They are looking for a new health officer and are investigating the improper handling of the remains of the victims of the MOVE bombing.

The city finalized the investigation team and officially started the investigation, which is expected to last six months. Dechart’s lawyer Robert Heim and Montgomery McCracken’s Kyle Bradford-Gray met with African families and city officials earlier this month.

found one Permanent Health SpecialistKenny said that the city is cooperating with DSS Global, an international headhunting company that specializes in multicultural recruitment and diverse leadership talent.

Kenny said: “Our next health commissioner should have extensive experience in public health, leadership and working with diverse, underserved communities, and be clearly committed to advancing the sector’s health equity agenda.” “This is a one. A rare opportunity to use everything we have learned from the pandemic to improve the health of every corner of our city.”

Interviews for this position are scheduled to begin later this month.

The city is also committed to improving the forensic office. They worked with independent investigators to create an advisory group of experts in the field to better understand current practices and review best practices.

Officials stated that the goal is to use the perspective of racial equality to formulate written policies and procedures, and then be endorsed by the National Association of Medical Examiners.

Both the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University apologized for storing the bones of an unidentified MOVE victim in the Pennsylvania Museum for decades.