Photo Credit: Reginald Todd
Dannah Elise Wilson is a native Detroiter who is committed to storytelling, intercultural connectivity, and revolution through the vessel of art. A graduate of the University of Michigan in Afroamerican and African Studies, she was named the inaugural Dr. Niara Sudarkasa Scholar. Her activism began at 15, and at 17, she delivered a viral speech opposing Betsy DeVos’s nomination, featured in Ebony, Jet, USA Today, Teen Vogue, and the SPLC.
She interned with The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, journeyed to Kenya, and was the youngest invitee to the Obama Foundation Summit. At Michigan, she led equity initiatives, founded an inclusion section at The Michigan Daily, and became the first student panelist at the Mackinac Policy Conference. She was also selected for two fellowships: Ripples of Hope, linking youth entrepreneurs in South Africa and the U.S., and the Detroit Education Narrative Collective, focused on narrative-driven change.
Dannah was invited to international conferences with Sister Cities International (South Africa) and UNESCO MGIEP (India), named one of Detroit’s 100 Most Influential People, and is a two-time Spirit of Detroit Award winner. Through Dannah Elise Photography, she documents African diaspora stories and challenges Eurocentric narratives.
Currently, she directs the Detroit Public School History Museum and leads development of the Jonathon and Dawn Clark Health and Healing Center. A co-founder of The Collective Studios and contributor to nine films, her work unites art, education, and activism for community transformation. A change agent committed to peace, liberation, and truth, Dannah Elise Wilson is just getting started. Her vision is expansive—one that reaches across borders, mediums, and generations—guided always by the wisdom of history and the power of imagination. She continues to shape a future where art, education, and activism are not separate, but deeply and beautifully intertwined.