Black Is Beautiful: A Inspiring Tale of Game-Changing Photographer Kwame Brathwaite
History has seen countless compelling films about visual artists: Tish Murtha. Perhaps the film medium particularly shines when displaying particularly vivid still images. Today arrives one more exceptional case, from writer-director Yemi Bamiro, exploring the impressive life's work of Kwame Brathwaiteāan artist, performer and African American activist who embodied a special politico-aesthetic vision.
In partnership with his brother Elombe, he virtually invented the expression āBlack Is Beautifulā throughout the sixties by capturing the Harlem models in Harlem: young Black women who became the groundbreaking standard for beauty, moving beyond traditional grooming practices and the established white standard of femininity.
The Power of a Revolutionary Slogan
The iconic phrase evolved into a transformative unifying message, an brilliant three-word prose poem for progress. Just declaring that black people were beautiful became a liberating influence in society, politics and culture. The artist grew into a key figure in the civil rights African diaspora movement by documenting Muhammad Ali before his iconic Zaire bout in that era.
He became the exclusive visual documentarian for the Jackson 5's international performances, and eventually was named the house photographer for the legendary cultural institution, assembling an amazing collection of black musicians. Alongside his brother, he was the central figure behind securing the South African leader to appear in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
His son his namesake shares the family's mission to achieve proper recognition for his father's legacy after he was painfully excluded in Washington DC's Smithsonian institution, established by the political leader in 2016.
The film additionally explores the profoundly sorrowful inspiration of the artist's passion for photography: the disturbing images of the young victim, the teenage African American lynching victim whose bereaved parent defiantly demanded an open coffin so the violent nature of racial hatred could not be hidden.
Amidst Sorrow to Hope
From this image of horror, the artist encountered a form of profound understanding that guided him toward photographs of beauty. His photographs powerfully conveyed community pride and typically not overtly political: he developed a fresh visual language of strength upon which activist groups could mobilize.
This represents an captivating chronicle of cultural impact that still inspire across generations.
