There have been numerous engaging features highlighting photographers: Martin Parr. It could be cinematic storytelling particularly shines when displaying remarkably striking visual compositions. Here arrives a new outstanding instance, by creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the impressive professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, performer and social justice champion who exemplified a unique politico-aesthetic approach.
In partnership with his brother Elombe, he virtually invented the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by documenting the African American women in New York: young Black women who transformed into the sensational standard for beauty, moving beyond traditional cosmetic products and the predominant Caucasian standard of female beauty.
The Influence of a Revolutionary Slogan
The iconic phrase evolved into a radical unifying message, an visionary three-word prose poem for change. Simply to assert that black people were beautiful became a transformative force in culture, social movements and creative expression. Brathwaite became part of the social justice global Black struggle by documenting Muhammad Ali prior to his iconic Zaire bout in the seventies.
He became the official image creator for the band's continental journey, and later assumed the role of the house photographer for the iconic Harlem venue, creating an extraordinary collection of musical pioneers. Together with his sibling, he was the central figure behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to speak in the community.
Historical Recognition
His son Kwame Jr shares the their campaign to secure appropriate credit for his family heritage after he was hurtfully excluded in the prestigious National Museum of African American History and Culture, established by Barack Obama in this century.
This documentary also recounts the inexpressibly painful genesis of the photographer's interest in visual storytelling: the horrendous pictures of Emmett Till, the teenage Black murder victim whose grieving mother courageously insisted on an uncovered casket so the brutal truth of bigoted brutality would not be covered up.
From Tragedy to Beauty
In this vision of tragedy, the visionary found a type of profound understanding that led him toward visual representations of aspiration. His work beautifully expressed empowering beauty and typically not overtly political: he established a innovative iconography of strength upon which social causes could gather.
This represents an captivating testament of artistic vision that still inspire decades later.
