Renowned photographer and activist Kwame Brathwaite has passed away at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy as one of the pioneers of the "Black is Beautiful" movement. Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants in New York, Brathwaite's journey into photography began with two pivotal moments: witnessing Emmett Till's brutalized body in his open casket and observing a young photographer capturing images without flash at a Harlem jazz club.
This encounter sparked an interest in photography that eventually led to him co-founding the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) with his brother Elombe. Together, they founded the Grandassa Models, a group of young Black women who became the subject of Brathwaite's work, celebrating their features and challenging Eurocentric beauty standards.
Through his lens, Brathwaite captured iconic images of jazz legends like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Nina Simone, as well as musicians like Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and Bob Marley. His work also extended to documenting the historic "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
In addition to his photographic endeavors, Brathwaite was a passionate advocate for social justice. He traveled with the Jackson Five to document their tour and photographed various other music legends throughout his career. By the 1970s, his focus had shifted to popular Black music forms.
Throughout his decades-long career, Brathwaite continued to develop his photographic style, always staying true to the "Black is Beautiful" ethos. In recent years, he joined Philip Martin Gallery in Los Angeles and was still actively photographing commissions until his passing.
A retrospective of his work is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, where it will remain until July 24. Brathwaite's legacy serves as a testament to the power of photography and activism in shaping cultural narratives.
This encounter sparked an interest in photography that eventually led to him co-founding the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) with his brother Elombe. Together, they founded the Grandassa Models, a group of young Black women who became the subject of Brathwaite's work, celebrating their features and challenging Eurocentric beauty standards.
Through his lens, Brathwaite captured iconic images of jazz legends like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, and Nina Simone, as well as musicians like Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, and Bob Marley. His work also extended to documenting the historic "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman.
In addition to his photographic endeavors, Brathwaite was a passionate advocate for social justice. He traveled with the Jackson Five to document their tour and photographed various other music legends throughout his career. By the 1970s, his focus had shifted to popular Black music forms.
Throughout his decades-long career, Brathwaite continued to develop his photographic style, always staying true to the "Black is Beautiful" ethos. In recent years, he joined Philip Martin Gallery in Los Angeles and was still actively photographing commissions until his passing.
A retrospective of his work is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago, where it will remain until July 24. Brathwaite's legacy serves as a testament to the power of photography and activism in shaping cultural narratives.
just learned about Kwame Brathwaite passing away at 85... what an impact he made on photography and beyond 
! Did you know his work has been featured in over 200 museums worldwide? 
He's also had a retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago which has already drawn over 100k visitors 
. I mean, can you believe his photography was even used to promote Stevie Wonder's album cover back in '72? 
Let's give it up for this legend! 
His work is still actively being shared and celebrated today on social media with a reach of over 10 million engagements 
. Brathwaite's legacy shows us that one person can make a real difference through their art & activism 
he was all about celebrating black culture and challenging those traditional beauty standards 
and his pics of jazz legends are still iconic today 
he also had that cool style that blended photography with activism, you know? 
what i love is how his legacy lives on through this retrospective at the art institute of chicago 
it's a great reminder of the impact one person can have with their work 
. I mean, can you imagine having a career spanning over 5 decades, taking pics with some of the biggest names in music? 
he's like a bridge between two eras, when black people were still trying to find their voice and his camera was one of those voices 
also, it's dope that he was part of something bigger than himself, the "Black is Beautiful" movement, which was all about challenging the status quo and showing the world what beauty looked like 
. I mean, who else but him could've made Miles Davis look so cool with that camera? 
And can we talk about how he celebrated Black beauty without ever apologizin'? That's somethin' we can all learn from 
. We should definitely check out that retrospective at the Art Institute of Chicago - might just give us some inspiration to keep pushin' boundaries ourselves 
Another giant has fallen. Kwame Brathwaite was an icon and his loss is devastating. The fact that he passed away at 85 is little consolation considering all the good work he did. His legacy will live on, but it's hard not to think about what could've been if we still had him with us. He was a true trailblazer and his contributions to photography and social justice are immeasurable