There have been countless compelling films focusing on image makers: Vivian Maier. Perhaps cinematic storytelling particularly shines when displaying remarkably striking still images. Today we have a new exceptional example, by filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the extraordinary life's work of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, musician and African American activist who represented a distinct artistic-political approach.
In partnership with his family member Elombe, he effectively created the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” in the mid-century era by documenting the Harlem models in New York: youthful African American women who transformed into the transformative archetype for beauty, moving beyond conventional beauty standards and the predominant Eurocentric model of femininity.
The Power of Three Words
Black Is Beautiful transformed into a transformative call to action, an inspired concise declaration for transformation. Just to assert that black people were beautiful became a liberating power in society, activism and culture. The artist became integral to the civil rights global Black cause by photographing the legendary boxer before his legendary championship fight in the seventies.
He served as the primary visual documentarian for the Jackson 5's continental journey, and subsequently became the resident artist for the iconic Harlem venue, creating an incredible archive of African American artists. In collaboration with his sibling, he emerged as the key organizer behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to speak in New York.
Personal Journey
His son the younger Brathwaite recounts the personal campaign to ensure due acknowledgment for his parent's achievements after he was unjustly excluded in Washington DC's National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened by the political leader in 2016.
The feature additionally explores the profoundly sorrowful inspiration of the photographer's dedication to image making: the shocking images of Emmett Till, the young Black tragic figure whose bereaved parent courageously demanded an uncovered casket so the brutal truth of racial hatred would not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Hope
From this representation of violence, the artist discovered a type of anti-epiphany that led him toward images of beauty. His photographs beautifully expressed celebratory strength and often not overtly political: he established a fresh iconography of strength around which political movements could gather.
The documentary stands as an exhilarating testament of artistic vision that persists in inspire across generations.
