Summer of '85

De: Chris Morrow, Kevin Hart, Charlamagne Tha God, SBH Productions

Narrado por: Kevin Hart

Welcome to the summer of 1985 in Philadelphia, when the city was rocked—in almost every sense of the word—by two unprecedented events: Mayor W. Wilson Goode’s May 13 decision to bomb the headquarters of MOVE, a controversial Philadelphia-based radical communal organization, and the July 13 Live Aid concert, where international rock royalty convened in Philly to raise money for victims of the Ethiopian famine.

Separated by just two months and eight miles, these events would showcase both the best and the worst of the so-called City of Brotherly Love: One would raise millions of dollars for famine victims in Africa, while the other would lead to the death of 11 members of MOVE, including five children, who had all taken the last name of their leader, John Africa. The bombing led to a fire that was allowed to burn for hours, resulting in the destruction of a middle-class African American neighborhood. Those wounds remain raw more than 35 years later.

Created by Chris Morrow, produced by Kevin Hart and Charlamagne tha God’s SBH Productions, and narrated by Hart, a Philadelphia native, Summer of '85 marks the first attempt to connect these two events and detail the incredible irony (and tragedy) of Philadelphia hosting a benefit for Africa the same summer it bombed a thriving African American neighborhood. Featuring candid interviews with participants such as Bob Geldof, Patti LaBelle, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, and Mike Africa Jr., the series explores the complex history that resulted in these outlier events paired by proximity and a combustible mix of ego, altruism, prejudice, utopian dreams, and human frailty.

©2022 SBH Productions, LLC (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC

Necessary History

Do not pass this book up. It is a necessary and shocking story of Philadelphia in the summer of '85. The full cast performance and eye eitness accounts will shake you to the core. Great listen and stellar performance!!

Wow!

This is a well-read, heartbreaking story that everyone needs to hear. It’s also very hopeful. Great job to all involved.

must listen....learn something!

this was very enlightening. let's learn people. just a little knowledge can help us move on with good health.

Kevin Hart!!

Excellent production quality, on par with recent Malcolm Gladwell audiobooks, which for my money are the gold standard in audiobooks. A moving story the world needs to know and wrestle with, which is given a fair and honest treatment. engaging and enlightening.

great listen

amazing listen! I definitely learned about an event i had no prior knowledge of.

Listen to this!

Well put together… this is the best doc about the MOVE Bombing. Excellent execution. Well done.

The way history should be taught

Not because it’s entertaining but because it weaves together thought provoking and eye opening events that should inspire others to challenge their beliefs, and grow to be more human. Even if the idea of what it means to be human is in question.

informative! Thought provoking!

Great history! Will Smith mentioned the MOVE bombing in his book, but didn't go into detail. This is a great snapshot of what was going on at the time.

excellent illumination of a piece of history that.

Wow. while these events occurred during my lifetime, I was completely ignorant of it. I'm sure there are more pieces of this frightful puzzle, but before this podcast I didn't even know there was a puzzle. we'll done! it makes me wonder what other tragedies have been suppressed.

Eye Opening

This book is very eye opening about things that I never knew happened. I even listened to it with my 14 year old son and he was astonished of how the events unfolded.