History has seen countless compelling features focusing on visual artists: Vivian Maier. It could be the film medium truly excels when showcasing exceptionally powerful photographs. Now comes one more outstanding example, directed by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the impressive career of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, performer and social justice champion who exemplified a unique cultural-activist approach.
Together with his brother Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the mid-century era by photographing the African American women in New York: youthful African American women who transformed into the groundbreaking archetype for aesthetics, abandoning typical cosmetic products and the usual Eurocentric model of female beauty.
The Impact of a Revolutionary Slogan
Black Is Beautiful became a radical rallying cry, an inspired three-word manifesto for transformation. Merely declaring that African Americans were beautiful became a transformative influence in art, activism and creative expression. Brathwaite emerged as a key figure in the social justice pan-Africanist struggle by photographing Muhammad Ali before his legendary Zaire bout in the seventies.
He served as the primary visual documentarian for the band's international performances, and subsequently assumed the role of the house photographer for the historic cultural institution, building an amazing portfolio of musical pioneers. Together with Elombe, he became the key organizer behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to address the public in the community.
Family Legacy
The photographer's offspring the younger Brathwaite shares the their quest to ensure due acknowledgment for his father's legacy after he was unjustly overlooked in the prestigious Smithsonian institution, opened by the former president in recent years.
This documentary additionally explores the inexpressibly painful genesis of the artist's passion for image making: the disturbing photographs of the young victim, the teenage Black tragic figure whose mourning family member courageously demanded an open coffin so the violent nature of racial hatred would not be concealed.
Through Darkness to Hope
In this image of tragedy, the artist encountered a type of transformative realization that directed him toward images of aspiration. His work powerfully conveyed community pride and frequently not overtly political: he established a new iconography of strength through which political movements could unite.
It is an inspiring record of cultural impact that continues to inspire through the years.
