We have witnessed countless fascinating documentaries highlighting visual artists: Vivian Maier. Maybe cinematic storytelling particularly shines when showcasing exceptionally powerful still images. Now we have one more remarkable example, by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the remarkable professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, performer and African American activist who exemplified a unique cultural-activist approach.
Alongside his family member Elombe, he effectively created the expression “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in New York: emerging Black women who transformed into the sensational archetype for aesthetics, rejecting traditional cosmetic products and the established white ideal of femininity.
The Power of a Revolutionary Slogan
Black Is Beautiful became a transformative rallying cry, an brilliant three-word prose poem for progress. Simply declaring that African Americans possessed beauty emerged as a empowering power in art, activism and culture. The photographer grew into a key figure in the civil rights global Black struggle by photographing the legendary boxer prior to his iconic Zaire bout in the seventies.
He served as the primary photographer for the Jackson 5's African tour, and later assumed the role of the resident artist for the legendary Harlem venue, building an incredible portfolio of African American artists. Together with his brother, he was the driving force behind bringing the South African leader to address the public in the community.
Family Legacy
Brathwaite's son his namesake shares the family's mission to achieve appropriate credit for his family heritage after he was painfully overlooked in the prestigious Smithsonian institution, opened by the political leader in recent years.
This documentary additionally explores the deeply tragic genesis of the photographer's dedication to image making: the disturbing images of the lynching martyr, the teenage African American lynching victim whose bereaved parent courageously insisted on an uncovered casket so the brutal truth of racist violence could not be concealed.
Through Darkness to Empowerment
Through this image of violence, the visionary discovered a form of anti-epiphany that directed him toward photographs of beauty. His photographs powerfully conveyed community pride and often not overtly political: he developed a fresh iconography of pride through which activist groups could unite.
It is an exhilarating record of cultural impact that persists in resonate decades later.
