History has seen many fascinating films focusing on visual artists: Martin Parr. Perhaps the film medium truly excels when showcasing remarkably striking visual compositions. Today we have a new outstanding example, directed by creator Yemi Bamiro, exploring the extraordinary career of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, performer and African American activist who exemplified a unique cultural-activist vision.
In partnership with his sibling Elombe, he effectively created the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” during the 1960s by documenting the African American women in Harlem: youthful African American women who emerged as the groundbreaking archetype for beauty, abandoning typical cosmetic products and the predominant white model of femininity.
The Power of Three Words
This powerful statement evolved into a powerful rallying cry, an brilliant memorable declaration for change. Just declaring that African Americans radiated beauty became a transformative influence in art, activism and the arts. Brathwaite grew into integral to the Black power global Black movement by documenting Muhammad Ali prior to his iconic championship fight in the seventies.
He served as the official photographer for the band's international performances, and subsequently was named the resident artist for the iconic cultural institution, assembling an extraordinary collection of musical pioneers. Together with his sibling, he emerged as the key organizer behind bringing the anti-apartheid icon to address the public in New York.
Personal Journey
Brathwaite's son his namesake is interviewed the their quest to ensure proper recognition for his parent's achievements after he was painfully excluded in Washington DC's National Museum of African American History and Culture, inaugurated by Barack Obama in 2016.
The film also recounts the inexpressibly painful inspiration of the photographer's interest in image making: the horrendous photographs of the lynching martyr, the young civil rights lynching victim whose bereaved parent courageously insisted on an uncovered casket so the violent nature of racial hatred might not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Hope
In this vision of horror, the artist found a kind of transformative realization that directed him toward photographs of beauty. His images beautifully expressed empowering beauty and typically nuanced in approach: he developed a new visual language of strength around which political movements could mobilize.
The documentary stands as an exhilarating chronicle of cultural impact that still empower across generations.
