Renowned Photographer Kwame Brathwaite, Champion of the ‘Black is Beautiful’ Movement, Passes Away at Age 85

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Kwame Brathwaite, the iconic activist and photographer known for his contributions to the “Black is Beautiful” movement. Brathwaite, an influential figure in defining the aesthetics of the movement, passed away on April 1 at the age of 85.

Brathwaite’s son, Kwame Brathwaite, Jr, took to Instagram to share the heartbreaking news. In his post, he described his father as the patriarch of their family, their rock, and his hero.

In recent years, Brathwaite’s work has experienced a resurgence of interest from curators, historians, and collectors. In 2019, the Aperture Foundation organized his first major institutional retrospective, which premiered at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles before touring the country.

Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants, Brathwaite grew up in Brooklyn, with subsequent moves to Harlem and the South Bronx. He developed a passion for photography while attending the School of Industrial Art (now the High School of Art and Design). Two key moments ignited his love for the medium: encountering David Jackson’s powerful photograph of Emmett Till in 1955 and witnessing a young man take flashless photos in a jazz club in 1956.

Armed with a Hasselblad medium-format camera, Brathwaite mastered the art of capturing moments in low light, enhancing the visual narrative of his images. He further refined his craft in a small darkroom in his Harlem apartment, developing a technique that highlighted the beauty of Black skin. Brathwaite’s lens captured jazz legends such as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk in the 1950s and ’60s, aiming to convey the essence of their performances.

In the early 1960s, Brathwaite and AJASS (African Jazz Arts Society and Studios) used photography and organizational skills to challenge traditional Eurocentric beauty standards. They introduced the Grandassa Models, a group of young Black women Brathwaite photographed, celebrating their unique features. The models debuted in 1962 at the fashion show “Naturally ’62” held in the Purple Manor, a Harlem club. The show became a regular event until 1992. In 1966, Brathwaite married Sikolo, one of the Grandassa Models he met on the street and photographed the previous year.

In the 1970s, Brathwaite shifted his focus to document other forms of popular Black music. He accompanied the Jackson Five on their African tour in 1974 and photographed the historic boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, known as the “Rumble in the Jungle” in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Brathwaite’s portfolio also included capturing iconic figures like Nina Simone, Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and Bob Marley.

Throughout his career, Brathwaite remained true to the ethos of “Black is Beautiful,” continually refining his photographic style. As recently as 2018, he was commissioned to photograph artist and stylist Joanne Petit-Frère for The New Yorker. In 2016, he joined the prestigious Philip Martin Gallery in Los Angeles.

Despite declining health, Brathwaite’s retrospective continues to captivate audiences. Currently, the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, showcases his work, while the Art Institute of Chicago holds the exhibition “Kwame Brathwaite: Things Well Worth Waiting For” until July 24.

Kwame Brathwaite’s legacy as an artist, activist, and pioneer will continue to inspire generations to come. His profound impact on the “Black is Beautiful” movement and the world of photography cannot be overstated.