‘Black is Beautiful’

Kwame Brathwaite, the American photographer whose works visually powered the ‘Black Is Beautiful’ movement of the 60s, has died aged 85. Throughout his career, Brathwaite captured Black icons including Muhammad Ali, Aretha Franklin, The Jackson Five, and Nina Simone. Ultimately, his works sought to uplift the essence of being Black.

Written by Peace Yetunde Onafuye

Apr 5, 2023

Kwame Brathwaite (1938-2023). A self-portrait of Kwame Brathwaite, c. 1964, taken in Harlem. Courtesy of the artist, Aperture and Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles.

On 01 April 2023, American photographer, Kwame Brathwaite, passed away at the age of 85. Brathwaite was known for documenting African American life and culture through photography, and for popularizing the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement. News of Brathwaite’s death broke when his son, Kwame Samori Brathwaite, announced his death on the official Instagram for The Kwame Brathwaite Archive. ‘I am deeply saddened to share that my Baba, the patriarch of our family, our rock and my hero has transitioned. Thank you for your love and support during this difficult time,’ Somori Brathwaite’s announcement said.

Born on 01 January 1938, Kwame Brathwaite was raised in Harlem, New York City, by immigrant parents from Barbados. His career as a photojournalist chronicled the cultural, political, and social developments of Harlem, Africa, and the African diaspora.

Brathwaite and his team also aimed to explore how white ideas of beauty and body image affected African women in the 1960s. To do this, they formed the Grandassa Models, a modelling group of locally cast women who participated in yearly fashion shows at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, and they spread the revolutionary philosophy, ‘Black Is Beautiful’. ‘We’ve got to do something to make the women feel proud of their hair, proud of their blackness,’ Brathwaite told The New Yorker in 2019. Through the lens of the ‘Black is Beautiful’ movement, Brathwaite continued to explore and refine his style of photography throughout his career.

Brathwaite and AJASS held the first of its ‘Naturally’ fashion events in 1962. Jimmy Abu, a member of the organization, assisted in finding models from the community for the runway. These models wore their hair in ‘natural’ fashions and had skin tones that were darker than the pale tones of Black women who were depicted at the time in fashion publications. The latest designs and trends from African cities such as Accra, Nairobi and Dakar, served as inspiration for the apparel that the models wore as they walked down the runway. Brathwaite took pictures of the shows in colour, catching the vivid hues of the clothing and the variety of skin tones on the models. Brathwaite met Sikolo, a Grandassa Model, on the street and asked if he could take her picture. They got married in 1966.

You've Reached Your Limit of Free Reading.

Ad-free reading experience
Focused consumption without interruptions.
Unlimited access to exclusive archives
Decades of reporting at your fingertips.
In-Depth Deep-Dive Reporting
Long-form journalism that matters.

About the Author

Peace Yetunde Onafuye

is the senior producer (digital) at The Republic.

Comments

SHOP THE REPUBLIC

The Very Nigerian Playbook of Campus Politics

Student unions in public universities played a significant role in Nigeria’s struggles for independence and democracy. Today, however, as godfatherism, repression and declining participation reshape campus politics, student unionism has become a microcosm of the very Nigerian political culture it once sought to challenge.

Dawn Chinagorom-AbiakalamSeptember 13, 2026

The Mysterious Population of Nigeria

Since 2006, Nigeria has not conducted a nationwide population census. In the digital age, can we build a functional country without knowing how many people we actually are?

The RepublicSeptember 6, 2026

‘I, Too, Am Japa-ing’ (Audio Translations)

English translations of the Hausa audio recordings from ‘I, Too, Am Japa-ing’, published on rpublc.com on 6 September 2026.

Umar YandakiSeptember 6, 2026

‘I, Too, Am Japa-ing’

Decades of failed governance, banditry and economic collapse are driving young men from northern Nigeria across the Sahara in search of gold, dignity and a version of manhood Nigeria no longer offers them.

Tomi OlugbemiSeptember 2, 2026

Dennis Osadebe Is Outside

Audience Lead at The Republic, Tomi Olugbemi, talks with Nigerian mixed-media artist and sculptor, Dennis Osadebe, about his new public installation, This is Lagos.

Subscribe to our free newsletter

You're in — welcome to The Republic

Complete your onboarding

Read

Connect

Apps

More

Read

Connect

Apps

More

‘Black is Beautiful’

You've Reached Your Limit of Free Reading.

Ad-free reading experience

Unlimited access to exclusive archives

In-Depth Deep-Dive Reporting

You've Reached Your Limit of Free Reading.

Ad-free reading experience

Unlimited access to exclusive archives

In-Depth Deep-Dive Reporting

Comments

SHOP THE REPUBLIC

Related Stories

The Very Nigerian Playbook of Campus Politics

The Mysterious Population of Nigeria

‘I, Too, Am Japa-ing’ (Audio Translations)

‘I, Too, Am Japa-ing’

Dennis Osadebe Is Outside