There have been countless engaging films highlighting image makers: Tish Murtha. Maybe cinematic storytelling naturally comes alive when presenting remarkably striking visual compositions. Here arrives one more remarkable instance, from filmmaker Yemi Bamiro, exploring the extraordinary professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a creative force, artist and civil rights advocate who represented a distinct cultural-activist perspective.
Together with his sibling Elombe, he virtually invented the phrase “Black Is Beautiful” in the 1960s by capturing the Grandassa Models in the cultural epicenter: youthful African American women who transformed into the groundbreaking archetype for visual appeal, abandoning traditional grooming practices and the usual Eurocentric model of womanhood.
The Influence of Three Words
The iconic phrase evolved into a transformative unifying message, an visionary concise prose poem for transformation. Merely to assert that black people radiated beauty became a empowering power in culture, politics and the arts. The artist became a key figure in the Black power African diaspora cause by capturing images of the legendary boxer before his historic Zaire bout in that era.
He served as the exclusive visual documentarian for the band's African tour, and subsequently became the official visual chronicler for the iconic Apollo theatre, creating an extraordinary collection of musical pioneers. In collaboration with his brother, he emerged as the key organizer behind bringing the South African leader to speak in Harlem.
Historical Recognition
The photographer's offspring the younger Brathwaite shares the family's quest to ensure proper recognition for his family heritage after he was hurtfully excluded in the prestigious Smithsonian institution, inaugurated by the political leader in this century.
The film also recounts the profoundly sorrowful genesis of Brathwaite's passion for image making: the shocking images of Emmett Till, the teenage Black murder victim whose grieving mother boldly requested an uncovered casket so the violent nature of bigoted brutality would not be covered up.
Through Darkness to Beauty
From this image of tragedy, the artist encountered a type of profound understanding that guided him toward images of aspiration. His images beautifully expressed community pride and typically nuanced in approach: he established a new iconography of pride through which activist groups could unite.
The documentary stands as an inspiring record of creative genius that continues to resonate across generations.
