PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Louis Massiah is a filmmaker dedicated to documenting and preserving the rich history and culture of Philadelphia's communities of color.
“A very important current project that we've been doing for the last three years is how our politics, which is an oral history on strategies for African American and Puerto Rican political empowerment in Philadelphia, from the end of the Second World War until today,” Massiah says.
Massiah is the founder of Scribe Video Center in Philadelphia, a place where people can explore the use of video as both an artistic medium and a tool for social change. He began making films while he was in college. He made his first in 1975 while attending a documentary film program at MIT.
“It really began as looking at the documentary as a way of sharing all kinds of knowledge — you know, science and history and community health issues, and community wellness issues,” he says. “Documentary to me has always been this really vital form of communication.”
Massiah started the Documentary History Project for Youth for middle- and high school students in Philadelphia, along with the Precious Places Community History Project, an oral history program now in its sixth cycle.
“I think that history really provides a foundation for us to build on. And it's important to have visions for what we want this world to look like, what we want this country to look like, what we want our communities to look like.”
He says there’s something about watching history being played out on screen, and hearing firsthand accounts of historical events, putting the viewer in a place and time they otherwise would not have a chance to visit.
“I think that there is extraordinary power in the visual. Also — oftentimes when we talk about documentary, we forget about audio. I think sound and image are extraordinarily important. And we oftentimes call sound documentaries now "podcast" — but it's really working by the same idea.”
Watching individuals create and communicate something new to an audience is rewarding, Massiah says. “I find that very, very empowering. And to me that's a really important gift. Then it also is a legacy when you see that continue over time."
During Black History Month, KYW Newsradio’s GameChangers honors individuals or organizations that have made a significant, positive impact in communities of color in the greater Philadelphia region. View the 2024 honorees here.