We have witnessed many compelling films highlighting image makers: Martin Parr. Perhaps cinematic storytelling truly excels when displaying exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Here arrives another outstanding instance, from writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, musician and civil rights advocate who embodied a distinct cultural-activist perspective.
Alongside his family member Elombe, he virtually invented the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” during the mid-century era by documenting the African American women in New York: young Black women who emerged as the groundbreaking archetype for visual appeal, abandoning traditional grooming practices and the predominant Caucasian model of femininity.
The Impact of a Revolutionary Slogan
This powerful statement transformed into a powerful rallying cry, an inspired memorable declaration for transformation. Simply stating that black people were beautiful became a transformative influence in art, activism and the arts. The photographer grew into a key figure in the Black power African diaspora movement by photographing Muhammad Ali leading up to his legendary Zaire bout in 1974.
He served as the primary photographer for the Jackson 5's African tour, and later was named the official visual chronicler for the legendary Harlem venue, creating an amazing collection of black musicians. In collaboration with his brother, he became the central figure behind arranging for the South African leader to appear in New York.
Family Legacy
Brathwaite's son the younger Brathwaite is interviewed the family's mission to ensure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was hurtfully excluded in the prestigious Smithsonian institution, established by Barack Obama in recent years.
The film also recounts the deeply tragic origin of the photographer's interest in visual storytelling: the shocking pictures of the lynching martyr, the adolescent African American 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 Empowerment
From this vision of horror, Brathwaite encountered a kind of anti-epiphany that guided him toward images of beauty. His images were eloquent of community pride and often nuanced in approach: he developed a fresh iconography of empowerment around which political movements could unite.
It is an inspiring record of artistic vision that persists in inspire decades later.
