We have witnessed numerous fascinating films highlighting photographers: Martin Parr. Maybe the film medium naturally comes alive when showcasing exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Today arrives a new remarkable example, from creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable career of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, artist and civil rights advocate who exemplified a distinct cultural-activist perspective.
Together with his sibling Elombe, he pioneered the expression “Black Is Beautiful” during the 1960s by photographing the African American women in Harlem: youthful African American women who emerged as the sensational standard for visual appeal, abandoning conventional beauty standards and the predominant Caucasian ideal of womanhood.
The Impact of Three Words
The iconic phrase became a powerful call to action, an inspired concise manifesto for change. Simply declaring that black people possessed beauty became a empowering power in art, activism and the arts. The photographer grew into part of the social justice global Black struggle by capturing images of the legendary boxer leading up to his iconic championship fight in that era.
He was appointed the official photographer for the musical group's African tour, and eventually assumed the role of the house photographer for the iconic Apollo theatre, building an extraordinary collection of black musicians. Alongside his brother, he was the central figure behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to address the public in the community.
Personal Journey
Brathwaite's son Kwame Jr recounts the their mission to secure due acknowledgment for his family heritage after he was hurtfully excluded in Washington DC's cultural museum, opened by the former president in this century.
The feature further reveals the profoundly sorrowful genesis of the photographer's interest in image making: the horrendous images of Emmett Till, the young African American tragic figure whose bereaved parent boldly insisted on an open coffin so the violent nature of bigoted brutality might not be concealed.
From Tragedy to Beauty
In this vision of horror, Brathwaite discovered a type of anti-epiphany that directed him toward photographs of beauty. His work beautifully expressed celebratory strength and frequently nuanced in approach: he curated a new iconography of empowerment upon which activist groups could mobilize.
This represents an captivating record of creative genius that still inspire decades later.
