Biography
William Phillips Africa was a member of MOVE, the Philadelphia-based Black liberation and back-to-nature group founded by John Africa, and one of the "MOVE 9." Following the August 8, 1978 armed police confrontation at MOVE's Powelton Village house — in which Officer James Ramp was killed — the nine surviving adult members were convicted of third-degree murder in 1980 and each sentenced to 30 to 100 years. He died in prison in 2015, still incarcerated after more than 36 years.
Phil Africa was a member of the MOVE organization arrested with eight other MOVE members in the August 8, 1978 Philadelphia police raid on the MOVE compound at 33rd and Powelton. He was convicted along with the rest of the MOVE 9 of third-degree murder of Officer James J. Ramp. He died in Pennsylvania state prison on January 10, 2015 at age 59 — the second of the MOVE 9 to die behind bars, after Merle Africas death in 1998.
MOVE’s account identifies Phil as Janine’s husband, describes him during the March 28, 1976 confrontation and alleges that Judge Fred DiBona cited him for contempt and revoked bail during an informal chambers meeting on May 23, 1978. It identifies William Phillips Africa, AM-4984, at Dallas prison. This earlier contempt episode is distinct from the August 8 prosecution; its complete duration is not supplied. 25 Years on the MOVE (May 1996; March 1997 printing), PDF pages 11, 13, 19, 27. Source: https://azinelibrary.org/approved/25-years-move-1.pdf
Death in custody, not release alive
Philadelphia Magazine, January 14, 2015 documents the deaths in custody of Merle Africa on March 13, 1998 and Phil Africa on January 10, 2015. The death-in-custody date remains the endpoint for imprisonment calculations; it is not also recorded as a release alive. The existing death date and supported imprisonment duration are preserved.
The EddieAfrica parole article identifies Merle and Phil as MOVE9 members who died in prison. It supplies no individual death day or new complete custody duration; independently established death records remain intact.
The MOVE commemoration calls him Phil Africa and dates his death in Pennsylvania prison to January 10, 2015. It alleges unexplained circumstances; this is attributed support reporting, not a medical finding. Its thirty-plus-year statement is not substituted for exact custody chronology.
The Dragons Fire, National Jericho Movement Newsletter, vol. 6, July–August 2018, PDF page 30.
