The Beauty of Blackness: A Inspiring Tale of Revolutionary Visionary Kwame Brathwaite
There have been countless compelling films highlighting visual artists: Vivian Maier. Maybe the documentary format particularly shines when displaying exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Today comes a new outstanding example, directed by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, documenting the impressive career of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and social justice champion who embodied a unique cultural-activist perspective.
Alongside his sibling Elombe, he effectively created the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the 1960s by documenting the Grandassa Models in Harlem: young Black women who became the transformative template for beauty, rejecting conventional beauty standards and the predominant white ideal of female beauty.
The Impact of a Simple Phrase
The iconic phrase transformed into a radical call to action, an brilliant memorable prose poem for change. Simply stating that African Americans radiated beauty emerged as a liberating influence in society, activism and culture. The photographer grew into a key figure in the social justice global Black cause by capturing images of Muhammad Ali before his iconic Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the official photographer for the Jackson 5's continental journey, and later assumed the role of the resident artist for the legendary cultural institution, assembling an extraordinary portfolio of African American artists. Alongside Elombe, he emerged as the central figure behind securing the South African leader to appear in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
His son his namesake recounts the personal campaign to secure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was unjustly overlooked in the prestigious Smithsonian institution, opened by the political leader in 2016.
The film also recounts the profoundly sorrowful origin of the photographer's interest in visual storytelling: the horrendous pictures of the lynching martyr, the adolescent civil rights lynching victim whose mourning family member boldly requested an public viewing so the horrific reality of racist violence might not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Hope
In this vision of violence, Brathwaite encountered a kind of anti-epiphany that directed him toward photographs of aspiration. His work were eloquent of community pride and frequently not overtly political: he established a innovative iconography of empowerment upon which political movements could gather.
This represents an exhilarating testament of creative genius that continues to inspire decades later.
