Debbie A. Davis
Debbie Davis is a lifelong activist, community motivator, and artist whose work is rooted in transformation, justice, and care. After spending four decades incarcerated due to her political activism, she was released in 2018 and has since built her life through storytelling, filmmaking, and wellness work centered on returning citizens, disability justice, and decarceration. Debbie is a certified fitness instructor, Pre-and Postnatal Coach, and a doula trained by SWAT Doulas of Swarthmore, using movement and support as tools for healing-- especially for women and families. Through her art advocacy, and mentorship, she continues to turn survival into service and personal transformation into collective liberation.
Awarded Grants
2025
Leeway Transformation Award (LTA)
Related grantees
2020
Art and Change Grant (ACG)
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Overview
Debbie will create a short documentary film that gives a personal account of the 1978 confrontation between Move and Philadelphia officials. In this short film, the first two members of the Move 9 released after serving 40-years of their 30 to 100-year sentences, Debbie and Michael Davis Sr. also known as Debbie and Mike Africa share their truth about the MOVE legacy.
