There have been numerous fascinating films focusing on photographers: Martin Parr. It could be cinematic storytelling particularly shines when presenting particularly vivid photographs. Now arrives a new remarkable instance, directed by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, exploring the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, performer and social justice champion who exemplified a special artistic-political approach.
Alongside his brother Elombe, he pioneered the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by capturing the Grandassa Models in the cultural epicenter: young African American women who became the transformative template for aesthetics, moving beyond traditional grooming practices and the established Caucasian ideal of womanhood.
The Influence of a Revolutionary Slogan
The iconic phrase evolved into a radical rallying cry, an brilliant three-word manifesto for transformation. Just stating that black people possessed beauty became a transformative force in culture, activism and creative expression. The artist emerged as integral to the social justice pan-Africanist cause by capturing images of the legendary boxer prior to his historic championship fight in that era.
He became the exclusive photographer for the musical group's international performances, and later became the house photographer for the iconic cultural institution, building an extraordinary collection of black musicians. In collaboration with his brother, he became the driving force behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to appear in Harlem.
Personal Journey
The photographer's offspring Kwame Jr recounts the family's mission to ensure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was hurtfully overlooked in the nation's capital's Smithsonian institution, opened by the former president in this century.
This documentary further reveals the deeply tragic origin of the artist's interest in image making: the disturbing photographs of the young victim, the young African American lynching victim whose mourning family member defiantly demanded an public viewing so the brutal truth of racial hatred would not be covered up.
Through Darkness to Hope
From this image of violence, Brathwaite found a form of anti-epiphany that led him toward visual representations of community. His photographs powerfully conveyed empowering beauty and typically subtle in messaging: he curated a fresh visual language of empowerment through which activist groups could unite.
It is an exhilarating chronicle of cultural impact that persists in empower decades later.
