12 Gates To The City

"Twelve Gates to the City" is a short documentary exploring the impact of the Famous Davis Sisters of Philadelphia, PA. The Davis Sisters were a Black Gospel group founded by Ruth "Baby Sis" Davis and her sisters Thelma, Audrey, Alfreda, and Edna. The Davis Sisters were once considered the premiere women's gospel group of the '50s and 60's. They have influenced the likes of Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, and Mavis Staples. Using the title of one of their songs, "Twelve Gates to the City," this short film will use the 4 significant genres of Philly music as the gates in the east, west, north, and south. R&B in the east, Neo-Soul in the west, Gospel in the North, and Classical/Opera in the south. These 4 genres are the keys to the City of Philadelphia, and the Davis Sisters are a part of that great Philly Black music scene.

I will work with the Davis Sisters' descendants to share the sisters' history. In addition to the short documentary, we would like to partner with The MET Philadelphia to host a screening of the film and a Q&A with the family and community members. The MET was chosen because it is where the Davis Sisters performed many sold-out performances.