There have been many fascinating documentaries highlighting photographers: Martin Parr. It could be the film medium particularly shines when presenting remarkably striking still images. Now comes another outstanding example, by writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, performer and civil rights advocate who exemplified a special politico-aesthetic approach.
In partnership with his brother Elombe, he pioneered the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” during the 1960s by capturing the Grandassa Models in the cultural epicenter: young women of color who became the sensational template for aesthetics, rejecting typical cosmetic products and the predominant Caucasian standard of femininity.
The Impact of a Simple Phrase
The iconic phrase transformed into a powerful unifying message, an inspired memorable prose poem for transformation. Simply stating that black people radiated beauty became a transformative influence in art, politics and the arts. Brathwaite emerged as part of the civil rights African diaspora cause by documenting the legendary boxer before his historic Rumble in the Jungle in that era.
He was appointed the primary photographer for the musical group's continental journey, and eventually became the resident artist for the historic cultural institution, building an amazing portfolio of black musicians. Alongside his sibling, he emerged as the central figure behind bringing the anti-apartheid icon to speak in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
The photographer's offspring Kwame Jr shares the family's campaign to secure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was painfully excluded in the prestigious Smithsonian institution, inaugurated by the former president in 2016.
This documentary additionally explores the inexpressibly painful genesis of the photographer's dedication to image making: the horrendous pictures of the young victim, the adolescent civil rights lynching victim whose grieving mother defiantly requested an public viewing so the horrific reality of racist violence would not be covered up.
From Tragedy to Hope
In this image of tragedy, the visionary discovered a form of transformative realization that led him toward photographs of beauty. His photographs beautifully expressed community pride and typically subtle in messaging: he established a fresh symbolic representation of empowerment around which activist groups could gather.
It is an exhilarating testament of cultural impact that persists in inspire through the years.
