We have witnessed numerous fascinating features focusing on photographers: Martin Parr. Perhaps the documentary format particularly shines when showcasing exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Today we have another outstanding case, by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, musician and African American activist who exemplified a distinct artistic-political perspective.
Together with his family member Elombe, he effectively created the expression “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by capturing the Grandassa Models in Harlem: emerging women of color who emerged as the sensational archetype for visual appeal, abandoning conventional grooming practices and the established Caucasian model of female beauty.
The Power of Three Words
The iconic phrase transformed into a powerful call to action, an brilliant three-word prose poem for change. Simply stating that black people possessed beauty proved to be a empowering force in society, social movements and the arts. The artist emerged as a key figure in the social justice pan-Africanist cause by photographing the sports icon prior to his legendary Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the exclusive photographer for the band's African tour, and eventually assumed the role of the resident artist for the historic Harlem venue, assembling an extraordinary archive of black musicians. Alongside his sibling, he emerged as the key organizer behind securing the anti-apartheid icon to address the public in the community.
Personal Journey
His son the younger Brathwaite recounts the their quest to secure due acknowledgment for his father's legacy after he was painfully ignored in the nation's capital's Smithsonian institution, established by Barack Obama in recent years.
The feature additionally explores the inexpressibly painful genesis of the photographer's passion for photography: the shocking images of the lynching martyr, the teenage Black tragic figure whose mourning family member courageously insisted on an public viewing so the brutal truth of racist violence might not be covered up.
Amidst Sorrow to Empowerment
From this representation of horror, Brathwaite encountered a form of transformative realization that directed him toward visual representations of community. His photographs were eloquent of community pride and frequently not overtly political: he developed a innovative visual language of strength around which activist groups could gather.
It is an exhilarating testament of creative genius that still empower across generations.
