We have witnessed numerous engaging films about photographers: Tish Murtha. Perhaps cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when showcasing remarkably striking still images. Now arrives a new remarkable instance, from creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable life's work of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, musician and civil rights advocate who represented a distinct cultural-activist approach.
Together with his brother Elombe, he effectively created the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in New York: emerging African American women who became the groundbreaking standard for visual appeal, moving beyond traditional beauty standards and the established white standard of womanhood.
The Power of a Simple Phrase
The iconic phrase evolved into a transformative rallying cry, an inspired three-word manifesto for progress. Just declaring that people of color were beautiful emerged as a liberating power in art, social movements and culture. The artist emerged as part of the Black power pan-Africanist movement by photographing Muhammad Ali leading up to his historic Zaire bout in the seventies.
He became the official photographer for the band's international performances, and eventually was named the resident artist for the legendary Harlem venue, assembling an extraordinary portfolio of African American artists. Alongside his brother, he was the central figure behind securing Nelson Mandela to address the public in the community.
Historical Recognition
His son his namesake is interviewed the family's mission to ensure due acknowledgment for his family heritage after he was unjustly excluded in Washington DC's cultural museum, established by the former president in 2016.
The film additionally explores the inexpressibly painful origin of Brathwaite's passion for image making: the horrendous photographs of the lynching martyr, the teenage Black lynching victim whose bereaved parent defiantly insisted on an open coffin so the brutal truth of racist violence might not be concealed.
Amidst Sorrow to Hope
Through this image of tragedy, the artist found a type of transformative realization that led him toward photographs of beauty. His images were eloquent of community pride and frequently subtle in messaging: he curated a new iconography of strength through which social causes could unite.
The documentary stands as an inspiring testament of artistic vision that persists in empower through the years.
