History has seen many fascinating features about visual artists: Vivian Maier. Maybe cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when showcasing exceptionally powerful photographs. Here we have one more outstanding example, by creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the impressive career of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, musician and African American activist who embodied a distinct artistic-political vision.
Alongside his brother Elombe, he virtually invented the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” during the 1960s by capturing the Grandassa Models in New York: young women of color who transformed into the transformative archetype for visual appeal, rejecting conventional grooming practices and the usual Eurocentric model of womanhood.
The Impact of a Revolutionary Slogan
This powerful statement transformed into a transformative rallying cry, an visionary memorable prose poem for change. Merely stating that people of color radiated beauty emerged as a empowering influence in art, politics and culture. Brathwaite emerged as integral to the civil rights global Black cause by capturing images of Muhammad Ali before his historic Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.
He became the official photographer for the band's international performances, and eventually became the official visual chronicler for the iconic Harlem venue, creating an amazing archive of African American artists. In collaboration with Elombe, he was the central figure behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to speak in the community.
Personal Journey
His son Kwame Jr recounts the personal quest to ensure appropriate credit for his family heritage after he was painfully overlooked in the nation's capital's National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened by the political leader in this century.
The film additionally explores the deeply tragic origin of the photographer's dedication to image making: the disturbing images of Emmett Till, the young civil rights murder victim whose grieving mother courageously requested an open coffin so the violent nature of racial hatred might not be hidden.
From Tragedy to Hope
Through this image of violence, Brathwaite discovered a form of transformative realization that directed him toward visual representations of aspiration. His work beautifully expressed celebratory strength and typically subtle in messaging: he curated a innovative iconography of strength through which social causes could mobilize.
It is an captivating testament of artistic vision that still resonate through the years.
