Black Is Beautiful: The Inspiring Journey of Trailblazing Artist Kwame Brathwaite

History has seen many fascinating films focusing on visual artists: Martin Parr. Perhaps cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when showcasing particularly vivid visual compositions. Now arrives a new outstanding example, from filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, chronicling the remarkable life's work of Kwame Brathwaite—an artist, artist and social justice champion who embodied a distinct politico-aesthetic vision.

Alongside his brother Elombe, he pioneered the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” in the sixties by photographing the Harlem models in the cultural epicenter: youthful women of color who emerged as the sensational archetype for aesthetics, rejecting typical cosmetic products and the established Caucasian standard of womanhood.

The Influence of a Revolutionary Slogan

The iconic phrase became a transformative unifying message, an inspired memorable prose poem for transformation. Merely declaring that black people radiated beauty proved to be a empowering influence in art, activism and the arts. The photographer became part of the civil rights global Black cause by capturing images of the sports icon prior to his historic championship fight in 1974.

He became the official image creator for the musical group's international performances, and eventually was named the house photographer for the historic Apollo theatre, building an extraordinary portfolio of African American artists. In collaboration with his brother, he emerged as the central figure behind bringing the South African leader to speak in Harlem.

Historical Recognition

His son the younger Brathwaite shares the family's mission to secure appropriate credit for his father's legacy after he was unjustly ignored in the nation's capital's National Museum of African American History and Culture, inaugurated by the political leader in recent years.

The film also recounts the inexpressibly painful genesis of the photographer's dedication to photography: the horrendous images of the lynching martyr, the young African American tragic figure whose bereaved parent defiantly requested an public viewing so the horrific reality of racial hatred would not be hidden.

Through Darkness to Hope

Through this representation of violence, Brathwaite encountered a type of profound understanding that led him toward visual representations of community. His work beautifully expressed empowering beauty and typically not overtly political: he established a new iconography of empowerment around which social causes could unite.

It is an captivating record of cultural impact that persists in empower across generations.