There have been many engaging films focusing on image makers: Tish Murtha. Maybe the documentary format truly excels when displaying exceptionally powerful still images. Now we have one more remarkable instance, by creator Yemi Bamiro, exploring the extraordinary career of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, artist and civil rights advocate who exemplified a unique cultural-activist approach.
In partnership with his family member Elombe, he virtually invented the expression “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the 1960s by photographing the African American women in Harlem: youthful African American women who transformed into the sensational archetype for visual appeal, abandoning conventional beauty standards and the usual white model of femininity.
The Influence of a Revolutionary Slogan
Black Is Beautiful transformed into a radical unifying message, an inspired memorable manifesto for change. Simply declaring that African Americans were beautiful emerged as a empowering force in art, politics and the arts. Brathwaite emerged as a key figure in the Black power global Black struggle by documenting Muhammad Ali before his iconic championship fight in that era.
He became the exclusive visual documentarian for the Jackson 5's continental journey, and subsequently was named the resident artist for the legendary cultural institution, creating an incredible portfolio of musical pioneers. In collaboration with his brother, he emerged as the central figure behind securing the South African leader to appear in New York.
Family Legacy
Brathwaite's son his namesake recounts the family's campaign to achieve proper recognition for his parent's achievements after he was hurtfully excluded in the nation's capital's cultural museum, opened by the former president in 2016.
This documentary also recounts the profoundly sorrowful origin of the photographer's interest in image making: the shocking photographs of the lynching martyr, the young Black murder victim whose bereaved parent courageously demanded an uncovered casket so the horrific reality of racial hatred would not be concealed.
From Tragedy to Empowerment
From this representation of tragedy, the visionary found a kind of transformative realization that directed him toward photographs of beauty. His images beautifully expressed community pride and often not overtly political: he developed a innovative iconography of pride through which activist groups could gather.
The documentary stands as an inspiring record of creative genius that still inspire through the years.
