There have been numerous compelling documentaries focusing on image makers: Tish Murtha. Perhaps the documentary format naturally comes alive when displaying exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Now we have another exceptional case, directed by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable career of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and social justice champion who represented a special artistic-political vision.
Alongside his brother Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by capturing the African American women in Harlem: young Black women who emerged as the transformative archetype for aesthetics, abandoning conventional cosmetic products and the usual Eurocentric standard of female beauty.
The Impact of a Revolutionary Slogan
Black Is Beautiful transformed into a transformative rallying cry, an visionary memorable manifesto for change. Just declaring that people of color were beautiful became a empowering influence in art, activism and culture. The artist emerged as a key figure in the civil rights African diaspora struggle by photographing the legendary boxer before his iconic championship fight in 1974.
He served as the official photographer for the Jackson 5's African tour, and eventually was named the official visual chronicler for the legendary Harlem venue, creating an extraordinary archive of black musicians. Alongside Elombe, he was the central figure behind securing the South African leader to speak in New York.
Personal Journey
His son his namesake is interviewed the their campaign to achieve appropriate credit for his family heritage after he was painfully ignored in Washington DC's Smithsonian institution, established by the political leader in recent years.
The feature additionally explores the inexpressibly painful genesis of Brathwaite's dedication to visual storytelling: the shocking images of Emmett Till, the teenage civil rights tragic figure whose bereaved parent courageously insisted on an open coffin so the violent nature of racial hatred could not be covered up.
Through Darkness to Hope
Through this representation of violence, Brathwaite encountered a kind of profound understanding that guided him toward visual representations of aspiration. His images powerfully conveyed empowering beauty and often not overtly political: he developed a new symbolic representation of strength around which social causes could gather.
This represents an inspiring record of artistic vision that continues to inspire through the years.
