History has seen countless compelling films about photographers: Martin Parr. It could be the film medium truly excels when showcasing exceptionally powerful still images. Today arrives another outstanding instance, directed by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable career of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, artist and African American activist who exemplified a special politico-aesthetic approach.
In partnership with his sibling Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by documenting the Grandassa Models in Harlem: emerging African American women who emerged as the groundbreaking archetype for visual appeal, abandoning conventional cosmetic products and the predominant Caucasian ideal of womanhood.
The Impact of Three Words
The iconic phrase became a powerful rallying cry, an inspired concise prose poem for transformation. Simply to assert that people of color possessed beauty proved to be a empowering force in art, social movements and the arts. The artist grew into integral to the social justice pan-Africanist cause by photographing Muhammad Ali leading up to his iconic Rumble in the Jungle in the seventies.
He became the exclusive visual documentarian for the Jackson 5's international performances, and later became the resident artist for the legendary Apollo theatre, creating an amazing collection of musical pioneers. In collaboration with his sibling, he was the key organizer behind arranging for Nelson Mandela to appear in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
His son Kwame Jr shares the personal quest to ensure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was hurtfully excluded in the nation's capital's Smithsonian institution, inaugurated by Barack Obama in 2016.
This documentary further reveals the deeply tragic origin of the photographer's passion for photography: the shocking pictures of the young victim, the teenage civil rights lynching victim whose mourning family member boldly insisted on an public viewing so the horrific reality of racial hatred could not be hidden.
From Tragedy to Hope
From this representation of tragedy, the visionary discovered a kind of profound understanding that guided him toward photographs of beauty. His photographs powerfully conveyed empowering beauty and typically nuanced in approach: he developed a new visual language of strength around which activist groups could mobilize.
The documentary stands as an captivating testament of creative genius that still empower decades later.
