We have witnessed many compelling films about image makers: Vivian Maier. Perhaps the film medium naturally comes alive when showcasing particularly vivid still images. Today we have another remarkable case, by creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and social justice champion who exemplified a distinct artistic-political vision.
Together with his family member Elombe, he effectively created the expression “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in Harlem: youthful African American women who transformed into the transformative standard for visual appeal, rejecting typical grooming practices and the established white standard of femininity.
The Impact of Three Words
This powerful statement evolved into a powerful call to action, an brilliant memorable prose poem for change. Merely stating that black people radiated beauty emerged as a transformative force in art, social movements and culture. Brathwaite became integral to the Black power pan-Africanist cause by photographing the sports icon leading up to his historic Rumble in the Jungle in that era.
He became the primary image creator for the Jackson 5's African tour, and later was named the house photographer for the legendary Apollo theatre, building an extraordinary archive of musical pioneers. In collaboration with his brother, he was the central figure behind securing the anti-apartheid icon to appear in New York.
Historical Recognition
The photographer's offspring Kwame Jr shares the personal campaign to achieve appropriate credit for his parent's achievements after he was unjustly excluded in Washington DC's Smithsonian institution, established by Barack Obama in 2016.
The film also recounts the inexpressibly painful genesis of the photographer's dedication to image making: the disturbing photographs of the lynching martyr, the adolescent African American tragic figure whose grieving mother courageously insisted on an open coffin so the brutal truth of racist violence could not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Empowerment
In this image of horror, Brathwaite encountered a form of anti-epiphany that guided him toward images of community. His photographs powerfully conveyed community pride and frequently subtle in messaging: he curated a fresh symbolic representation of pride upon which activist groups could gather.
The documentary stands as an exhilarating chronicle of creative genius that persists in empower decades later.
