Renowned Photographer and Activist Kwame Brathwaite Passes Away at 85
Kwame Brathwaite, a pioneering photographer and activist who played a pivotal role in defining the aesthetics of the "Black is Beautiful" movement of the 1960s and beyond, has passed away at the age of 85. His son announced his father's death on Instagram, saying he was "deeply saddened to share that my Baba...has transitioned."
Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants in Brooklyn, Brathwaite grew up in Harlem and later moved to the South Bronx. He attended the School of Industrial Art, where he developed an interest in photography. Two pivotal moments shaped his approach: witnessing David Jackson's haunting photograph of Emmett Till in open casket in 1955, and seeing a young photographer capturing images without flash at a jazz club in 1956.
Using a Hasselblad medium-format camera, Brathwaite honed his skills to work with limited light, which enhanced the visual narrative of his imagery. He also developed a darkroom technique that deepened how Black skin appeared in his photographs. Brathwaite's photographic subject matter shifted from jazz legends to other popular Black music genres, including the Jackson Five and Nina Simone.
Throughout his career, Brathwaite focused on promoting African American culture and challenging Eurocentric beauty standards. He co-founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) with his brother Elombe in 1956. The group came up with the concept of the Grandassa Models, young Black women whom Brathwaite would photograph to celebrate their features.
In 1962, Brathwaite married Sikolo, a Grandassa Model he met on the street, and they remained together until his death. By the 1970s, Brathwaite's focus shifted to other forms of popular Black music. He photographed Muhammad Ali in the historic "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match and other music legends.
In recent years, Brathwaite continued to explore photography through commissions, including a shoot for The New Yorker in 2018. A retrospective exhibition of his work is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago until July 24.
Brathwaite's legacy as a photographer and activist will be remembered for promoting African American culture and challenging traditional beauty standards.
Kwame Brathwaite, a pioneering photographer and activist who played a pivotal role in defining the aesthetics of the "Black is Beautiful" movement of the 1960s and beyond, has passed away at the age of 85. His son announced his father's death on Instagram, saying he was "deeply saddened to share that my Baba...has transitioned."
Born in 1938 to Barbadian immigrants in Brooklyn, Brathwaite grew up in Harlem and later moved to the South Bronx. He attended the School of Industrial Art, where he developed an interest in photography. Two pivotal moments shaped his approach: witnessing David Jackson's haunting photograph of Emmett Till in open casket in 1955, and seeing a young photographer capturing images without flash at a jazz club in 1956.
Using a Hasselblad medium-format camera, Brathwaite honed his skills to work with limited light, which enhanced the visual narrative of his imagery. He also developed a darkroom technique that deepened how Black skin appeared in his photographs. Brathwaite's photographic subject matter shifted from jazz legends to other popular Black music genres, including the Jackson Five and Nina Simone.
Throughout his career, Brathwaite focused on promoting African American culture and challenging Eurocentric beauty standards. He co-founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) with his brother Elombe in 1956. The group came up with the concept of the Grandassa Models, young Black women whom Brathwaite would photograph to celebrate their features.
In 1962, Brathwaite married Sikolo, a Grandassa Model he met on the street, and they remained together until his death. By the 1970s, Brathwaite's focus shifted to other forms of popular Black music. He photographed Muhammad Ali in the historic "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match and other music legends.
In recent years, Brathwaite continued to explore photography through commissions, including a shoot for The New Yorker in 2018. A retrospective exhibition of his work is currently on view at the Art Institute of Chicago until July 24.
Brathwaite's legacy as a photographer and activist will be remembered for promoting African American culture and challenging traditional beauty standards.
he was literally a pioneer in photography and activism, and his work still inspires us today 
i'm so sad to see him go but at the same time i'm grateful for the legacy he left behind 
he was all about celebrating black culture and challenging those eurocentric beauty standards that have held us back for too long 
and let's not forget his iconic grandassa models project - it's amazing to think of all the young black women who were empowered by his work 
anyway, his retrospective exhibition at the art institute of chicago is def worth checking out 
just saw this news about Kwame Brathwaite passing away and I gotta say, it's sad 
I mean, who else could make images that were so powerful and raw at the same time? His work was like a breath of fresh air back in the day.
. It's crazy to think about how one person could make such a huge impact on the world through their art.
. Anyway, I'm gonna have to take a trip down memory lane now and look at some of his work... 
Kwame Brathwaite's passing at 85 is a significant loss to the world of photography and beyond 
. As a trailblazer in the "Black is Beautiful" movement, his work continues to inspire and provoke conversations about representation and identity 
. His innovative use of medium-format cameras and darkroom techniques allowed him to capture the essence of Black culture and challenge Eurocentric beauty standards 
Kwame Brathwaite was like a legend in my eyes he took pics that were so raw & honest, you know? I mean, his approach to photography was all about celebrating blackness & challenging these Eurocentric beauty standards that we still deal with today 
. And the way he worked with limited light, it's like magic 
.
. And can we talk about how cool it was that he started the Grandassa Models? Those ladies were like, the OG supermodels 
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. Also, did Kwame Brathwaite ever travel abroad? I wonder if he learned any new photography techniques while exploring other cultures 
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his photography style was super unique, using low light to highlight black skin tones 
it was like he paved the way for black representation in media and arts 
gotta say, 85 is old but Kwame Brathwaite lived a life full of passion & purpose 
the thing is, his work wasnt just about beauty, it was about challenging the status quo & promoting black culture in a time when people didnt want to see themselves on camera 
anyway, im sad he's gone but his legacy lives on through his pics 