Kwame Brathwaite, the politically and culturally impactful photographer who popularized the Black slogan, “Black Is Beautiful,” died at 85 on April 1.
On Sunday, his son, Kwame Brathwaite, Jr., announced his father’s death on Instagram.
“I am deeply saddened to share that my Baba, the patriarch of our family, our rock and my hero has transitioned,” he wrote in the caption. “Thank you for your love and support during this difficult time.”
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To say that one thing or event drove Kwame to pursue work that would change the minds and attitudes of the Black community is a bit naive.
Kwame, born in 1938 in Brooklyn, New York, witnessed some of the most historical moments, like the Jet Magazine photos of Emmett Till’s body after white men lynched him.
Although the Till photos transformed the Civil Rights movement, they also deteriorated the positive perspective on Black culture. How could people see the beauty of Black when these photos show the consequence of being Black?
Furthermore, Black women only had white women’s perspective of beauty and body image.
Collabing with his brother Elombe Brath, Kwame combined art and political activism. He looked to activists like Marcus Garvey, who founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) in Jamaica and advocated for Black freedom and economic liberation.
A Brooklyn native, Kwame made a lot of noise during the second Harlem Renaissance, pushing messages (with other artists and musicians) of political consciousness and economic empowerment. But his most notable work is the “Black Is Beautiful” idea, which he brought to life using his photojournalism skills.
He formed the Grandassa Models, a troupe of Black women who were ambassadors of the Black is Beautiful movement. With a Hasselblad medium-format camera, Kwame beautifully captured Black women models donning natural hairstyles.
Aperture, New York and Kwame collaborated to birth the Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite exhibition.
In addition to being an activist, Kwame was a concert photographer for some prominent musicians, like James Brown, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and more. Before his death, Kwame, his son and the Kwame Brathwaite archive director curated a Spotify “Black Is Beautiful” playlist. Check it out!
