There have been many engaging features about visual artists: Vivian Maier. Perhaps the film medium truly excels when showcasing remarkably striking visual compositions. Here arrives one more remarkable example, directed by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, documenting the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, performer and social justice champion who embodied a unique cultural-activist vision.
Together with his sibling Elombe, he virtually invented the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in Harlem: youthful African American women who became the transformative archetype for visual appeal, moving beyond traditional cosmetic products and the predominant white model of womanhood.
The Power of Three Words
This powerful statement evolved into a radical rallying cry, an visionary concise prose poem for change. Merely to assert that black people radiated beauty proved to be a empowering force in society, politics and the arts. Brathwaite became integral to the social justice global Black struggle by photographing the legendary boxer before his historic Zaire bout in 1974.
He served as the primary photographer for the musical group's African tour, and subsequently became the official visual chronicler for the iconic Apollo theatre, creating an amazing portfolio of African American artists. Together with his brother, he emerged as the central figure behind securing Nelson Mandela to appear in New York.
Historical Recognition
The photographer's offspring the younger Brathwaite recounts the their mission to achieve due acknowledgment for his family heritage after he was unjustly overlooked in Washington DC's National Museum of African American History and Culture, established by the former president in 2016.
This documentary also recounts the profoundly sorrowful origin of the artist's dedication to photography: the disturbing photographs of the lynching martyr, the adolescent civil rights tragic figure whose mourning family member boldly insisted on an open coffin so the horrific reality of bigoted brutality could not be concealed.
Amidst Sorrow to Empowerment
In this representation of tragedy, the visionary discovered a type of anti-epiphany that guided him toward images of community. His work powerfully conveyed empowering beauty and frequently not overtly political: he established a fresh iconography of strength upon which social causes could mobilize.
It is an inspiring record of artistic vision that still resonate across generations.
