There have been numerous engaging features highlighting visual artists: Tish Murtha. It could be the documentary format naturally comes alive when showcasing particularly vivid visual compositions. Today comes one more exceptional example, from writer-director Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable life's work of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, performer and social justice champion who represented a unique politico-aesthetic vision.
Alongside his brother Elombe, he effectively created the expression “Black Is Beautiful” during the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: young Black women who emerged as the sensational archetype for visual appeal, abandoning traditional grooming practices and the predominant Eurocentric standard of femininity.
The Impact of a Revolutionary Slogan
This powerful statement evolved into a transformative call to action, an brilliant concise prose poem for change. Simply stating that African Americans were beautiful became a liberating influence in culture, activism and the arts. The photographer grew into part of the social justice global Black movement by photographing the sports icon before his historic championship fight in that era.
He served as the exclusive photographer for the band's continental journey, and later became the resident artist for the historic Apollo theatre, building an incredible portfolio of musical pioneers. In collaboration with his sibling, he became the central figure behind arranging for the anti-apartheid icon to appear in the community.
Family Legacy
His son his namesake recounts the personal campaign to ensure due acknowledgment for his family heritage after he was painfully overlooked in the prestigious National Museum of African American History and Culture, established by the political leader in recent years.
This documentary also recounts the deeply tragic inspiration of the artist's interest in image making: the disturbing photographs of Emmett Till, the adolescent Black lynching victim whose grieving mother boldly demanded an uncovered casket so the horrific reality of bigoted brutality could not be hidden.
Through Darkness to Empowerment
Through this representation of violence, the artist found a form of anti-epiphany that directed him toward images of aspiration. His images powerfully conveyed celebratory strength and often not overtly political: he established a new iconography of empowerment upon which political movements could gather.
The documentary stands as an captivating testament of creative genius that still resonate through the years.
