We have witnessed many engaging documentaries about image makers: Martin Parr. Maybe the documentary format naturally comes alive when showcasing remarkably striking still images. Here we have another exceptional example, from creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the impressive professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, musician and social justice champion who represented a unique politico-aesthetic perspective.
Together with his brother Elombe, he effectively created the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” in the mid-century era by documenting the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: young African American women who emerged as the sensational template for visual appeal, rejecting conventional beauty standards and the usual Eurocentric model of female beauty.
The Influence of a Revolutionary Slogan
The iconic phrase became a radical call to action, an brilliant concise manifesto for progress. Simply to assert that African Americans radiated beauty became a transformative power in society, activism and culture. The artist emerged as part of the Black power pan-Africanist movement by capturing images of the legendary boxer leading up to his iconic Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the official visual documentarian for the Jackson 5's continental journey, and later was named the house photographer for the historic Apollo theatre, assembling an amazing archive of black musicians. Together with his brother, he was the central figure behind arranging for the South African leader to appear in Harlem.
Personal Journey
Brathwaite's son the younger Brathwaite shares the their quest to secure due acknowledgment for his father's legacy after he was painfully excluded in the prestigious National Museum of African American History and Culture, established by the political leader in recent years.
The film further reveals the profoundly sorrowful genesis of the artist's interest in photography: the disturbing images of Emmett Till, the young Black lynching victim whose grieving mother boldly demanded an public viewing so the horrific reality of racist violence could not be covered up.
Amidst Sorrow to Hope
From this representation of horror, Brathwaite encountered a form of transformative realization that led him toward visual representations of community. His photographs powerfully conveyed empowering beauty and frequently subtle in messaging: he curated a fresh iconography of pride through which activist groups could mobilize.
This represents an inspiring chronicle of artistic vision that continues to empower through the years.
