More than a Saying – “Black is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story”

Director: Yemi Bamiro
Writer: Yemi Bamiro and Otto Burnham
Starring: Jesse Williams, Gabrielle Union, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beats, Kwame Brathwaite
Run Time: 1hr 39 min.
Release Date: February 17, 2026 (West Coast Premiere) Pan African Film Festival 2026

“Black is Beautiful” is known to some as only a phrase, but it’s also a whole movement. I’ve seen the wall art. I’ve done the adult coloring book. I even know of the “Black is Beautiful” beer initiative started by Marcus Baskerville at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement. But the person I had never heard of was Kwame Brathwaite. Now, I will never forget him.

Black is Beautiful: The Kwame Brathwaite Story is a new documentary by writer-director Yemi Bamiro. The film not only celebrates the “Black is Beautiful” movement that Kwame Brathwaite helped popularize, but also offers an excellent introduction to and celebration of the life and work of this pioneering photographer and activist. Black is Beautiful highlights Black culture and features the Brathwaite family, friends, and celebrities, including Gabrielle Union, Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Jesse Williams, and Tyler Mitchell. Kwame’s son, Kwame Jr., is at the center of the film as he recounts his family’s mission to ensure his father’s achievements are neither unrecognized nor forgotten. 

In 2016, President Obama opened the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. The Brathwaite family was saddened to see so little of Kwame’s experience in the “Black is Beautiful” section. The family took it upon themselves to ensure his legacy was not lost to history. Black is Beautiful promotes Black fashion, music, art, and beauty standards through the lens of Kwame Brathwaite.

The Artist

It’s frustrating yet unsurprising that a man like Kwame Brathwaite, who played a pivotal role in the visual arts of Black culture, is unknown to so many. He had an extensive career and influenced so much. He championed a distinct Black aesthetic through iconic images of the Grandassa Models—young African American women who were the epitome of Black proud women, wearing African garb, natural hair, and Black pride, doing away with the usual cosmetic products and the white standard of beauty.

You’ve probably seen his photos but didn’t know his name. The documentary highlights many of Brathwaite’s photos, but barely scratches the surface of the people, places, and events he photographed. His empowering images of Black men and women in the 60s were a game-changer. 

The Movement

The documentary feature does an outstanding job tracing the origins and impact of the“Black is Beautiful” movement and its connection to Brathwaite and his brother, activist Elombe Brath. Through the photographs Kwame took and the African Jazz-Art Society, both of which Kwame and Elombe were part of, the audience learns how their work contributed to shaping Black identity. The Brathwaite family impacted the Black community in ways I never knew, through activism, fashion, and art. 

Archiving History

In Black is Beautiful, Kwame’s photos give us glimpses of history. Not only can we see the artistic genres of the time, but we can also use his photos to access political moments, sporting achievements, and parts of the broader African diaspora. Some of history’s biggest moments were captured by Kwame. Not only is the film a wonderful tribute to an incredible artist, but it is also an achievement in archiving Black history. Capturing the culture as no one had done before. Kwame’s photos in the film also highlight Black joy, positivity, and perseverance despite adversity. Black is Beautiful is an expression of pride and empowerment.

It is said that Kwame Brathwaite took over 500,000 photos across his 70-year career. It is a wonder that children weren’t learning about him in school or history books the same way we learn about Nelson Mandela, Muhammad Ali vs George Foreman (aka The Rumble in the Jungle), or the Apollo Theater in Harlem. Kwame was there for all of it. His impact is undeniable. Black is Beautiful inspires and, as one viewer said, “invigorates, and allows Black people to walk a little taller as they exit the theater.”

Director Yemi Bamiro has given us a timely film that helps us better understand our presence in the world. During a time when people are attempting to erase Black history, here we have a piece that embraces it and wants you to learn more. Black is Beautiful explores the role that artistic expression plays in creating and maintaining Black lifeworlds. It’s illuminating. There is a true link between aesthetics and politics. Bamiro has given us a true gift. Black is Beautiful is a must-watch for sure. It’s thought-provoking and adds another link to contemporary Black culture. Not to mention, the film is a marvelous way to showcase such vivid still images.

I can’t wait for audiences to discover this film and learn about the Brathwaite family and what they did for the arts and the people. If you’re eager to learn more about Kwame Brathwaite and find yourself near or in Amherst, MA, you can view the new exhibit Kwame Brathwaite: Revolutionary Movements, on view at the Mead Art Museum now through July 5, 2026.