‘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.

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About the Author

Peace Yetunde Onafuye

is the senior producer (digital) at The Republic.

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‘Black is Beautiful’