History has seen numerous fascinating documentaries highlighting image makers: Martin Parr. Maybe cinematic storytelling particularly shines when presenting exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Here arrives another exceptional instance, by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the impressive career of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, artist and civil rights advocate who represented a distinct cultural-activist vision.
Together with his family member Elombe, he effectively created the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” throughout the mid-century era by documenting the Harlem models in New York: youthful African American women who emerged as the groundbreaking archetype for beauty, moving beyond conventional cosmetic products and the usual white model of womanhood.
The Impact of a Simple Phrase
The iconic phrase transformed into a transformative unifying message, an inspired three-word prose poem for change. Merely to assert that black people were beautiful emerged as a liberating power in culture, activism and creative expression. The artist emerged as a key figure in the civil rights pan-Africanist cause by capturing images of the sports icon prior to his iconic championship fight in 1974.
He was appointed the exclusive photographer for the musical group's continental journey, and subsequently became the official visual chronicler for the iconic Harlem venue, creating an incredible archive of African American artists. Together with Elombe, he emerged as the central figure behind arranging for the South African leader to appear in New York.
Personal Journey
His son Kwame Jr recounts the their campaign to secure appropriate credit for his parent's achievements after he was hurtfully excluded in Washington DC's cultural museum, opened by the former president in this century.
The feature also recounts the profoundly sorrowful genesis of the photographer's passion for image making: the shocking pictures of the young victim, the young African American lynching victim whose bereaved parent defiantly requested an open coffin so the brutal truth of bigoted brutality might not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Beauty
Through this image of horror, the artist discovered a form of profound understanding that led him toward images of community. His images were eloquent of celebratory strength and often not overtly political: he curated a new visual language of empowerment around which political movements could mobilize.
This represents an exhilarating record of creative genius that continues to inspire decades later.