KEYSSH

DATTS

FELLOW

Meet UnMapping Fellow Keyssh Datts. Born in Southwest Philly, Keyssh is a community organizer and filmmaker who uses art to help people learn and unlearn for the betterment of humanity. As a filmmaker, they wrote and narrated a film exhibition piece called Succulent City, highlighting urban farmers in Philly for the Futures Exhibit Museum at the Smithsonian. They also worked with PhillyCam, and as a videographer, director, and editor on Chronicling Resistance, an archival and exhibitions project for the Free Library of Philadelphia that highlights those in the community doing anticolonialism work. Keyssh’s organizing work can be seen in THE-ard, WHYY, Variety, and other local news organizations. They created DecolonizePhilly—a multigenerational environmental justice organization—to help put power back into people’s hands. Keyssh is a recipient of the Community Leader Award by State Representative Dwight Evans from the Commonwealth of PA and a Lenfest Next Generation fellow. Their project WeTheRevolution.tv will serve as an online platform and archival database to archive the history of Philadelphia and provide community members with the resources to document their changing city.

KEYSSH DATTS BY DEJAH MCINTOSH