There have been numerous fascinating documentaries focusing on image makers: Tish Murtha. It could be the film medium naturally comes alive when displaying particularly vivid still images. Here we have another remarkable case, by creator Yemi Bamiro, documenting the remarkable professional journey of Kwame Brathwaite—a photographer, performer and social justice champion who represented a special cultural-activist vision.
Alongside his brother Elombe, he effectively created the expression “Black Is Beautiful” in the 1960s by photographing the Harlem models in Harlem: youthful Black women who emerged as the groundbreaking archetype for beauty, abandoning conventional grooming practices and the predominant Caucasian standard of femininity.
The Power of Three Words
The iconic phrase transformed into a powerful rallying cry, an visionary three-word manifesto for transformation. Merely stating that people of color radiated beauty became a empowering influence in culture, activism and creative expression. Brathwaite became a key figure in the social justice African diaspora cause by photographing Muhammad Ali prior to his iconic Rumble in the Jungle in 1974.
He served as the exclusive image creator for the musical group's international performances, and subsequently became the official visual chronicler for the legendary Harlem venue, creating an amazing collection of black musicians. In collaboration with his brother, he became the central figure behind securing the South African leader to appear in the community.
Historical Recognition
His son Kwame Jr is interviewed the family's campaign to achieve proper recognition for his father's legacy after he was painfully overlooked in Washington DC's Smithsonian institution, opened by the former president in this century.
This documentary additionally explores the deeply tragic genesis of the photographer's interest in image making: the horrendous images of the young victim, the young civil rights lynching victim whose grieving mother boldly demanded an public viewing so the violent nature of bigoted brutality might not be hidden.
Amidst Sorrow to Empowerment
From this representation of horror, the artist found a kind of anti-epiphany that directed him toward photographs of aspiration. His photographs beautifully expressed celebratory strength and often not overtly political: he established a new iconography of pride around which social causes could unite.
It is an exhilarating chronicle of creative genius that still inspire across generations.
