Pioneering Photographer Behind 'Black is Beautiful' Movement Passes Away at 85
Kwame Brathwaite, a photographer and activist whose work defined the aesthetics of the 'Black is Beautiful' movement of the 1960s and beyond, has passed away on April 1st, aged 85. His son announced his father's death in an Instagram post.
Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants in New York, Brathwaite was drawn to photography by two life-changing moments. The first was when he encountered a haunting photograph of Emmett Till's brutalized body at 17 years old. The second moment came when he saw a young man taking photos without a flash in a jazz club, sparking his imagination.
Brathwaite developed his skills using a Hasselblad medium-format camera and honed a darkroom technique that enhanced the visual narrative of his imagery. He went on to photograph jazz legends like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and others. Brathwaite's photography was not just about capturing the performances but also about conveying the mood and feeling of the music.
As an activist, Brathwaite used his photography to push back against whitewashed beauty standards. He co-founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) with his brother Elombe and began using his work to celebrate Black beauty in 1962. The group organized "Naturally '62," a fashion show featuring young Black women who embraced their natural hair, which ran regularly until 1992.
Brathwaite's focus shifted to other forms of popular Black music by the 1970s. He traveled to Africa with the Jackson Five and photographed historic events like the "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Brathwaite also commissioned portraits of Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Bob Marley, and other music legends.
Throughout his career, Brathwaite continued to explore and develop his photography style, always staying true to the "Black is Beautiful" ethos. His work has been showcased in several exhibitions, including a major retrospective at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, which featured works up until 2018.
Kwame Brathwaite, a photographer and activist whose work defined the aesthetics of the 'Black is Beautiful' movement of the 1960s and beyond, has passed away on April 1st, aged 85. His son announced his father's death in an Instagram post.
Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants in New York, Brathwaite was drawn to photography by two life-changing moments. The first was when he encountered a haunting photograph of Emmett Till's brutalized body at 17 years old. The second moment came when he saw a young man taking photos without a flash in a jazz club, sparking his imagination.
Brathwaite developed his skills using a Hasselblad medium-format camera and honed a darkroom technique that enhanced the visual narrative of his imagery. He went on to photograph jazz legends like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and others. Brathwaite's photography was not just about capturing the performances but also about conveying the mood and feeling of the music.
As an activist, Brathwaite used his photography to push back against whitewashed beauty standards. He co-founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) with his brother Elombe and began using his work to celebrate Black beauty in 1962. The group organized "Naturally '62," a fashion show featuring young Black women who embraced their natural hair, which ran regularly until 1992.
Brathwaite's focus shifted to other forms of popular Black music by the 1970s. He traveled to Africa with the Jackson Five and photographed historic events like the "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Brathwaite also commissioned portraits of Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Bob Marley, and other music legends.
Throughout his career, Brathwaite continued to explore and develop his photography style, always staying true to the "Black is Beautiful" ethos. His work has been showcased in several exhibitions, including a major retrospective at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, which featured works up until 2018.
what's the world coming to? Another legend passes away and I'm still feeling the loss... Kwame Brathwaite was such an icon and his photography is still giving me chills 
. I mean, who else could make 'black is beautiful' a reality back in the day? It's crazy that we're even having to say goodbye to this movement and its pioneers 
. His legacy lives on through all the amazing artists and activists he worked with... it's just not the same without him 
.
. his photography was more than just capturing black beauty, it was a movement. he used his camera to challenge the status quo and show the world that blackness is beautiful, not just for black people but for everyone. I love how he worked with the ajass collective to celebrate natural hair and self-expression. his work has inspired so many, including artists, activists, and musicians. rest in peace 
... to me, his work's still pretty cool, but it feels like just another nostalgic moment for some folks who lived through the '60s... don't get me wrong, celebrating black beauty and challenging whitewashed standards is def something we should be doing more of 
. but does that mean we gotta make a big deal about every old photographer who's passed on? 
he basically paved the way for us to appreciate black beauty and culture without all the drama & negativity that comes with it his photography was more than just capturing moments - it was a movement 
️ i love how he used his platform to celebrate natural hair and challenge traditional beauty standards back in the day 
what's crazy is that this movement is still relevant today, and we're still fighting for the same things 
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he was more than just a photographer though, he was also a true activist who used his platform to celebrate black beauty and challenge whitewashed standards 
i'm gonna miss seeing more of his work, but i know his son will keep pushing his vision forward 
like the museum show in Texas was already a big deal back in 2018 why wait till now to give him all this hype? and honestly i think the whole 'black is beautiful' movement was overhyped from the start 
it's just a bunch of people tryin to cash in on being black with their fancy cameras and art galleries
he used his photography to break down these unrealistic beauty standards and just celebrated black people being themselves that's so important and sadly we still need more people like him today 
my grandma used to wear her hair natural all the time back in the day and i remember how brave it was for her to do that now kwame brathwaite's work is a reminder that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes 
I remember seeing some of his photos online and being blown away by the beauty & confidence of the people in them. It's crazy to think that someone who started out taking pics at 17 ended up influencing an entire movement 
. i'm sure he'd be disappointed to see how his work is being co-opted by non-black artists and brands trying to capitalize on the "black is beautiful" movement 
. anyway, RIP kwame brathwaite, may your camera always roll with the truth 
. At the same time, it's great to see how his legacy lives on through his son and other activists 
. The fact that he was also a skilled photographer, capturing iconic moments in jazz history, is truly impressive 
. All in all, Kwame Brathwaite will be deeply missed, but his impact on the world of photography and beyond will continue to inspire future generations 
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. I wish more people knew about him, but at least now we can appreciate his contributions even more 
. His legacy lives on through the Black is Beautiful movement 
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he wasnt just a photographer, hes a symbol of resistance against whitewashed standards, pushing back since the 60s