We have witnessed many engaging documentaries focusing on image makers: Vivian Maier. Maybe the documentary format truly excels when displaying exceptionally powerful still images. Here arrives a new remarkable case, directed by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, musician and African American activist who represented a distinct artistic-political perspective.
Together with his brother Elombe, he pioneered the expression “Black Is Beautiful” during the mid-century era by photographing the African American women in Harlem: youthful African American women who emerged as the sensational template for aesthetics, rejecting typical grooming practices and the established Caucasian ideal of female beauty.
The Power of a Revolutionary Slogan
Black Is Beautiful became a radical call to action, an brilliant memorable prose poem for transformation. Simply to assert that black people possessed beauty emerged as a transformative power in society, social movements and culture. The photographer emerged as a key figure in the social justice global Black movement by capturing images of Muhammad Ali before his legendary Zaire bout in that era.
He served as the primary visual documentarian for the Jackson 5's African tour, and subsequently assumed the role of the official visual chronicler for the historic Apollo theatre, assembling an incredible portfolio of black musicians. In collaboration with Elombe, he emerged as the central figure behind bringing the anti-apartheid icon to speak in the community.
Historical Recognition
His son Kwame Jr recounts the personal quest to secure due acknowledgment for his parent's achievements after he was hurtfully ignored in the nation's capital's National Museum of African American History and Culture, established by the former president in 2016.
The film also recounts the inexpressibly painful origin of Brathwaite's interest in image making: the shocking photographs of Emmett Till, the teenage Black murder victim whose bereaved parent defiantly demanded an open coffin so the violent nature of racist violence might not be concealed.
Amidst Sorrow to Empowerment
Through this image of horror, the artist discovered a type of anti-epiphany that directed him toward visual representations of beauty. His images beautifully expressed community pride and frequently nuanced in approach: he developed a fresh iconography of empowerment upon which political movements could unite.
It is an captivating chronicle of cultural impact that persists in empower through the years.
