Today The MOVE Family held an emotional press conference, during which Penn Museum derailed MOVE’s intention to “speak for themselves” by creating a spectacle around an “apology" that had not been delivered to MOVE directly.

MOVE made it clear that (1) NO ONE from Penn/Princeton reached out; (2) they were told their babies were buried 35 years ago; (3) they have ZERO trust in the city/Penn; (4) "defiling” of their children’s remains follows LONG history of state murder of MOVE children prior to 1985

I HIGHLY encourage you to listen to move speak on their own terms:

In the Q&A, a reporter asked them specifically if they’d heard from Penn. When they said “no,” the reporter revealed that Penn sent the reporter a statement of apology within the hour (i.e. DURING the press conference) that the reporter read aloud.

You can read the text of the Penn Museum’s “apology” here, which was posted DURING the MOVE press conference: https://twitter.com/pennmuseum/status/1386695376950923271?s=20

You can also read Penn’s statement here: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/announcements/statement-regarding-human-remains-recovered-move-home

I cannot adequately capture the insensitivity of this disruption of MOVE’s convening to address the public ON THEIR OWN TERMS with the performance of an apology. Particularly when that apology has not be delivered directly to MOVE but through a media proxy.

The Family specifically called out the media’s negligent coverage over the decades of state terrorism, murder, and incarceration of the organization. And once again, the coverage of the day is CENTERING Penn Museum’s “apology” rather than MOVE’s own witness.

I’m appalled and undone. This is not how to seek accountability for harm or repair. This is again piling on MORE trauma and harm to The MOVE Family, and deepening distrust.