We have witnessed many compelling films about image makers: Tish Murtha. Maybe the documentary format naturally comes alive when presenting particularly vivid photographs. Now we have a new remarkable case, from filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the impressive career of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, musician and civil rights advocate who exemplified a unique cultural-activist perspective.
Together with his sibling Elombe, he effectively created the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” in the mid-century era by photographing the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: emerging women of color who emerged as the transformative template for aesthetics, moving beyond traditional grooming practices and the predominant Eurocentric model of womanhood.
The Power of a Simple Phrase
The iconic phrase transformed into a transformative call to action, an inspired three-word manifesto for change. Merely to assert that African Americans radiated beauty emerged as a empowering power in culture, social movements and creative expression. The artist became part of the social justice African diaspora movement by capturing images of Muhammad Ali before his historic Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the exclusive image creator for the musical group's international performances, and later became the resident artist for the legendary cultural institution, creating an incredible archive of African American artists. In collaboration with his brother, he was the driving force behind securing Nelson Mandela to speak in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
Brathwaite's son his namesake recounts the personal campaign to achieve proper recognition for his parent's achievements after he was hurtfully overlooked in Washington DC's National Museum of African American History and Culture, inaugurated by Barack Obama in 2016.
The feature also recounts the deeply tragic inspiration of the photographer's interest in photography: the shocking pictures of Emmett Till, the young Black lynching victim whose grieving mother defiantly demanded an public viewing so the horrific reality of bigoted brutality might not be concealed.
From Tragedy to Hope
Through this image of horror, Brathwaite discovered a type of transformative realization that guided him toward visual representations of community. His photographs were eloquent of celebratory strength and frequently subtle in messaging: he developed a fresh visual language of empowerment upon which social causes could mobilize.
The documentary stands as an inspiring chronicle of artistic vision that still resonate decades later.
