We have witnessed many engaging films focusing on photographers: Tish Murtha. It could be the documentary format truly excels when showcasing exceptionally powerful still images. Now we have one more remarkable instance, by creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the extraordinary career of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, musician and African American activist who represented a distinct artistic-political perspective.
In partnership with his brother Elombe, he pioneered the expression “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the 1960s by photographing the Grandassa Models in the cultural epicenter: emerging African American women who became the transformative archetype for visual appeal, moving beyond traditional beauty standards and the predominant Caucasian model of female beauty.
The Power of a Revolutionary Slogan
Black Is Beautiful became a powerful unifying message, an inspired concise declaration for progress. Just stating that black people possessed beauty became a liberating influence in society, social movements and the arts. Brathwaite became a key figure in the social justice pan-Africanist movement by photographing the sports icon prior to his legendary Zaire bout in the seventies.
He was appointed the exclusive image creator for the band's African tour, and eventually assumed the role of the official visual chronicler for the historic cultural institution, creating an extraordinary portfolio of black musicians. In collaboration with his brother, he emerged as the key organizer behind securing the anti-apartheid icon to address the public in the community.
Personal Journey
Brathwaite's son Kwame Jr shares the personal mission to ensure appropriate credit for his parent's achievements after he was hurtfully excluded in Washington DC's Smithsonian institution, established by Barack Obama in recent years.
This documentary also recounts the deeply tragic inspiration of Brathwaite's passion for image making: the disturbing pictures of the lynching martyr, the adolescent African American tragic figure whose grieving mother boldly insisted on an public viewing so the brutal truth of racial hatred might not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Hope
From this image of violence, the artist encountered a kind of transformative realization that directed him toward photographs of community. His photographs were eloquent of community pride and typically not overtly political: he established a fresh symbolic representation of strength through which political movements could unite.
This represents an exhilarating chronicle of cultural impact that still empower through the years.
