We have witnessed countless engaging films highlighting photographers: Martin Parr. It could be cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when showcasing exceptionally powerful photographs. Now comes one more outstanding instance, from creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable life's work of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, musician and African American activist who represented a distinct cultural-activist approach.
In partnership with his sibling Elombe, he pioneered the expression “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the mid-century era by capturing the African American women in New York: young Black women who transformed into the transformative archetype for beauty, rejecting typical cosmetic products and the usual Caucasian model of female beauty.
The Power of Three Words
Black Is Beautiful evolved into a powerful rallying cry, an inspired memorable prose poem for transformation. Simply declaring that black people possessed beauty became a transformative power in art, social movements and culture. Brathwaite grew into part of the civil rights global Black movement by capturing images of Muhammad Ali leading up to his historic Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He was appointed the primary photographer for the band's continental journey, and later became the official visual chronicler for the iconic Harlem venue, building an incredible collection of African American artists. In collaboration with his brother, he emerged as the central figure behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to speak in New York.
Family Legacy
His son the younger Brathwaite recounts the family's campaign to secure appropriate credit for his parent's achievements after he was painfully ignored in Washington DC's cultural museum, opened by the former president in recent years.
The feature further reveals the deeply tragic genesis of the photographer's interest in image making: the disturbing photographs of the young victim, the adolescent civil rights murder victim whose bereaved parent defiantly insisted on an uncovered casket so the horrific reality of bigoted brutality might not be hidden.
Amidst Sorrow to Beauty
From this image of horror, the visionary discovered a form of transformative realization that directed him toward visual representations of aspiration. His photographs powerfully conveyed empowering beauty and frequently not overtly political: he established a fresh iconography of pride around which political movements could gather.
It is an inspiring testament of creative genius that still inspire through the years.
