We have witnessed many fascinating documentaries about photographers: Vivian Maier. Maybe the film medium truly excels when showcasing particularly vivid photographs. Here we have one more exceptional example, directed by creator Yemi Bamiro, exploring the remarkable professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, musician and African American activist who embodied a unique artistic-political vision.
Alongside his sibling Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” in the mid-century era by documenting the African American women in Harlem: emerging women of color who became the transformative template for visual appeal, abandoning typical grooming practices and the predominant Caucasian model of female beauty.
The Influence of Three Words
The iconic phrase became a powerful unifying message, an visionary memorable declaration for transformation. Just to assert that people of color possessed beauty became a empowering force in culture, activism and culture. Brathwaite emerged as part of the social justice African diaspora cause by capturing images of the sports icon before his legendary Zaire bout in the seventies.
He was appointed the exclusive image creator for the musical group's international performances, and later became the official visual chronicler for the legendary cultural institution, assembling an incredible archive of African American artists. Together with his brother, he became the key organizer behind securing the anti-apartheid icon to speak in New York.
Family Legacy
The photographer's offspring Kwame Jr shares the their campaign to secure proper recognition for his father's legacy after he was painfully ignored in Washington DC's cultural museum, established by the former president in 2016.
The feature additionally explores the profoundly sorrowful genesis of the photographer's passion for photography: the shocking images of the lynching martyr, the young African American tragic figure whose mourning family member courageously demanded an public viewing so the horrific reality of bigoted brutality could not be concealed.
From Tragedy to Hope
From this vision of violence, the artist encountered a type of transformative realization that guided him toward photographs of beauty. His work beautifully expressed empowering beauty and often nuanced in approach: he developed a innovative visual language of pride upon which activist groups could gather.
It is an captivating testament of artistic vision that still empower through the years.
