Conversions

Abstract

This chapter introduces readers to the social world of MOVE. It features a biography of John Africa, also known as Vincent Leaphart. Leaphart was born in Philadelphia in 1936. He served a tour of duty during the Korean War. The chapter introduces readers to some of the early converts to MOVE, including Delbert Orr Africa, Louise James Africa, Donald Glassey, Gail Africa, Muriel Austin Africa, Janet Hollaway Africa, and others. By 1974, there were around two dozen MOVE people, most with the surname Africa. Many, though not all, were Black. Many were biological relatives. They spent their days working on the house, tending the animals, and cooking communal meals. What united these early MOVE people was a shared identity, a sense of family under the headship of John Africa, and a veneration of a sacred text.