History has seen numerous engaging documentaries highlighting photographers: Martin Parr. It could be cinematic storytelling truly excels when displaying remarkably striking still images. Here arrives another exceptional case, from writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the impressive professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, performer and social justice champion who embodied a unique cultural-activist approach.
Alongside his sibling Elombe, he pioneered the slogan “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by capturing the Harlem models in New York: young Black women who emerged as the sensational standard for aesthetics, rejecting typical cosmetic products and the usual Caucasian ideal of womanhood.
The Power of a Revolutionary Slogan
The iconic phrase evolved into a radical rallying cry, an inspired memorable prose poem for transformation. Just declaring that African Americans radiated beauty emerged as a liberating influence in art, politics and the arts. The photographer became part of the social justice pan-Africanist struggle by photographing the sports icon prior to his iconic Rumble in the Jungle in that era.
He was appointed the official image creator for the musical group's African tour, and later became the official visual chronicler for the legendary Harlem venue, assembling an extraordinary portfolio of black musicians. Together with Elombe, he was the driving force behind securing the South African leader to speak in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
Brathwaite's son the younger Brathwaite shares the their quest to achieve due acknowledgment for his parent's achievements after he was unjustly excluded in the prestigious cultural museum, opened by Barack Obama in this century.
The film also recounts the inexpressibly painful origin of Brathwaite's dedication to visual storytelling: the horrendous images of Emmett Till, the adolescent African American tragic figure whose grieving mother defiantly demanded an open coffin so the brutal truth of racial hatred would not be covered up.
Amidst Sorrow to Empowerment
Through this image of violence, the artist found a type of anti-epiphany that directed him toward visual representations of aspiration. His images were eloquent of celebratory strength and typically not overtly political: he established a innovative symbolic representation of empowerment around which social causes could mobilize.
This represents an exhilarating record of cultural impact that continues to resonate across generations.
