About this item
In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan "Black Is Beautiful." This monograph -- the first ever dedicated to Brathwaite's remarkable career -- tells the story of a key, but under-recognized, figure of the second Harlem Renaissance. Inspired by the writings of activist and black nationalist Marcus Garvey, Brathwaite, along with his older brother, Elombe Brath, founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models (1962) . AJASS was a collective of artists, playwrights, designers, and dancers; Grandassa Models was a modeling agency for black women, founded to challenge white beauty standards. From stunning studio portraits of the Grandassa Models to behind-the-scenes images of Harlem's artistic community, including Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, and Miles Davis, this book offers a long-overdue exploration of Brathwaite's life and work
About the Author
Inspired in part by the writings of Marcus Garvey, Kwame Brathwaite, his older brother, Elombe Brath, and the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) popularized the phrase "Black is Beautiful" in the late 50's and early 60's. Brathwaite and Brath did their part to spread this idea through Brathwaite's writings and photographs, as well as the activities of the two organizations they helped co-found: AJASS (1956) and the Grandassa Models (1962) . In the late 1950's Brathwaite and his older brother, Elombe Brath, became active in the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement (ANPM) led by Carlos Cooks. Brathwaite and Brath were also involved in the early struggle in Southern Africa. In 1961 they formed the Bronx-based South-West Africa Relief Committee to support Sam Nujoma's South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) [and later, the People's Liberation Army of Namibia (PLAN) ]. Parallel to these political activities the two brothers were regularly producing concerts at such venues as Club 845 in the Bronx and Small's Paradise in Harlem. Brathwaite took on the role of photographing these concerts, promoting them, and organizing the cultural activities that would often be held during the concerts, such as art shows and African dance performances.AJASS's first fashion show, "Naturally '62: The Original African Coiffure and Fashion Extravaganza Designed to Restore Our Racial Pride and Standards," was headlined by Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach. Initially planned as a one-time event, "Naturally '62" proved so popular that a second sold out show was held that same night to accommodate the crowd. Tanisha Ford notes in her book, Liberated Threads Black Women, Style and the Global Politics of Soul (Chapel Hill, NC: UNC Press Books, 2015) , that, "By wearing African-inspired garments," the Grandassa Models "were communicating their support of a liberated Africa and symbolically expressing their hope for black freedom and social, political and cultural independence in the Americas." Brathwaite worked to disrupt media and produce positive images of African-Americans. Working as an artist and a theorist, Brathwaite produced photographs that were specifically intended to shape the course of American visual discourse. Brathwaite 's photographs foreground the idea that artistic and political vision can affect change in popular culture -- and that popular culture can affect change on culture at large. The subjects of Brathwaite's carefully crafted photographs invoke the power of a range of objects, such as books, musical instruments and artworks. The dress and hairstyles of his subjects point to their sense of themselves, while the environs of his subjects direct the viewer to a community of artist activists--writers, painters, playwrights, fashion designers and musicians. Brathwaite's work demonstrates the power of photography as an essential cultural
