There have been countless engaging documentaries focusing on visual artists: Martin Parr. Perhaps cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when presenting remarkably striking visual compositions. Here arrives another remarkable example, from writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, artist and African American activist who exemplified a special artistic-political approach.
In partnership with his brother Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: young women of color who became the sensational template for visual appeal, rejecting conventional grooming practices and the established Caucasian standard of female beauty.
The Influence of Three Words
Black Is Beautiful transformed into a powerful rallying cry, an visionary three-word prose poem for change. Just to assert that people of color were beautiful emerged as a transformative power in art, activism and culture. The photographer became part of the social justice pan-Africanist cause by photographing the sports icon before his legendary Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.
He served as the primary image creator for the band's continental journey, and eventually was named the house photographer for the legendary cultural institution, building an incredible portfolio of black musicians. Alongside Elombe, he was the central figure behind arranging for Nelson Mandela to appear in New York.
Historical Recognition
Brathwaite's son the younger Brathwaite shares the their campaign to ensure appropriate credit for his parent's achievements after he was painfully ignored in the nation's capital's cultural museum, opened by Barack Obama in 2016.
This documentary additionally explores the profoundly sorrowful genesis of the artist's interest in visual storytelling: the horrendous pictures of the young victim, the young civil rights lynching victim whose grieving mother courageously insisted on an public viewing so the horrific reality of bigoted brutality could not be covered up.
Through Darkness to Empowerment
Through this representation of violence, the artist found a kind of transformative realization that directed him toward photographs of aspiration. His images beautifully expressed celebratory strength and often not overtly political: he established a fresh visual language of strength around which social causes could gather.
This represents an inspiring record of creative genius that still inspire across generations.
