Biography
Janine Phillips Africa is similarly known as a MOVE member from the group’s high-conflict Philadelphia period in the 1970s and as one of the MOVE 9. Reporting on MOVE consistently situates her activism within the organization’s communal “back-to-nature” ideology and its direct, often confrontational stance toward city institutions—conflict that helped turn the imprisonment of the MOVE 9 into a long-running political cause for supporters.
Phillips Africa was arrested during the Aug. 8, 1978 siege/eviction confrontation at MOVE’s home and, with the other MOVE 9, was convicted of third-degree murder in Officer Ramp’s death and sentenced to decades in prison. She was granted parole and released on May 25, 2019 (the same day as Janet Holloway Africa), after spending more than 40 years incarcerated.
MOVE’s account says Janine’s baby Life Africa was born March 8, 1976 and died following a police confrontation March 28 while she tried to protect her husband Phil. It alleges she was thrown down holding the infant and beaten; police denied the account. It reports later solitary punishment for blood-test refusal and identifies Janine Phillips Africa as OO-6309 at Cambridge Springs. These are attributed family and prison-condition details, not new admission or release dates. 25 Years on the MOVE (May 1996; March 1997 printing), PDF pages 11, 13, 17, 18. Source: https://azinelibrary.org/approved/25-years-move-1.pdf
The EddieAfrica parole article says this MOVE member had already been released before Eddie’s June21,2019 parole. It specifically dates Janet and Janine’s parole to May and attributes their refusal to celebrate while Charles and Delbert remained jailed. This is corroboration of prior liberty, without copying Eddie’s exact release day to anyone else.
The August tribute article identifies the MOVE members as already released, with a Boston welcome-home celebration scheduled for October 22. The September 7 Running Down the Walls report describes attendance or speeches by members of the released group. Rounded forty-one-year language and future celebration dates do not replace individually documented release endpoints.
