There have been countless fascinating films focusing on image makers: Vivian Maier. It could be the film medium truly excels when presenting exceptionally powerful visual compositions. Now comes one more outstanding case, from writer-director Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the impressive professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and African American activist who exemplified a unique artistic-political vision.
In partnership with his sibling Elombe, he virtually invented the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by photographing the African American women in Harlem: youthful African American women who transformed into the transformative archetype for aesthetics, moving beyond typical grooming practices and the usual Eurocentric standard of female beauty.
The Power of a Simple Phrase
Black Is Beautiful became a radical rallying cry, an visionary three-word declaration for change. Merely declaring that black people were beautiful proved to be a empowering power in culture, politics and culture. The photographer grew into a key figure in the Black power pan-Africanist cause by photographing Muhammad Ali leading up to his iconic championship fight in the seventies.
He served as the exclusive visual documentarian for the musical group's international performances, and subsequently was named the house photographer for the iconic cultural institution, building an extraordinary portfolio of African American artists. In collaboration with Elombe, he was the driving force behind securing the anti-apartheid icon to appear in the community.
Historical Recognition
His son the younger Brathwaite recounts the personal mission to ensure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was unjustly overlooked in Washington DC's cultural museum, established by the former president in 2016.
The feature further reveals the inexpressibly painful origin of Brathwaite's passion for visual storytelling: the shocking pictures of the young victim, the young civil rights murder victim whose bereaved parent boldly insisted on an public viewing so the brutal truth of racial hatred would not be concealed.
From Tragedy to Beauty
From this representation of horror, the visionary discovered a form of profound understanding that led him toward images of beauty. His photographs beautifully expressed community pride and frequently nuanced in approach: he curated a innovative visual language of pride through which social causes could unite.
The documentary stands as an exhilarating record of creative genius that persists in empower across generations.
