There have been countless fascinating documentaries about photographers: Martin Parr. Perhaps the documentary format particularly shines when displaying exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Here arrives a new exceptional case, directed by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the remarkable professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and civil rights advocate who exemplified a special politico-aesthetic vision.
Alongside his sibling Elombe, he effectively created the expression “Black Is Beautiful” during the 1960s by photographing the African American women in the cultural epicenter: emerging African American women who transformed into the groundbreaking archetype for beauty, abandoning typical grooming practices and the established Eurocentric ideal of womanhood.
The Influence of Three Words
Black Is Beautiful became a transformative rallying cry, an inspired concise declaration for progress. Simply declaring that black people possessed beauty became a transformative force in culture, politics and the arts. The photographer became integral to the social justice pan-Africanist struggle by photographing the sports icon leading up to his historic Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.
He was appointed the official visual documentarian for the band's continental journey, and eventually became the official visual chronicler for the iconic cultural institution, building an amazing archive of black musicians. In collaboration with his sibling, he became the driving force behind arranging for Nelson Mandela to appear in the community.
Historical Recognition
Brathwaite's son the younger Brathwaite shares the personal quest to ensure due acknowledgment for his father's legacy after he was painfully overlooked in the nation's capital's National Museum of African American History and Culture, opened by the political leader in this century.
This documentary also recounts the inexpressibly painful inspiration of the artist's interest in visual storytelling: the shocking images of the young victim, the teenage African American tragic figure whose bereaved parent defiantly insisted on an public viewing so the violent nature of racial hatred could not be hidden.
Amidst Sorrow to Beauty
In this representation of violence, Brathwaite discovered a type of profound understanding that directed him toward images of aspiration. His photographs beautifully expressed celebratory strength and frequently subtle in messaging: he curated a innovative visual language of strength around which activist groups could mobilize.
This represents an inspiring chronicle of cultural impact that continues to inspire across generations.
