From Beyonc to Barack Obama its hard to think of a black figure who does not owe their prominence in some measure to the ethos of Black is Beautiful Ekow Eshun Financial Times In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan Black Is Beautiful. This monographthe first ever dedicated to Brathwaites remarkable careertells the story of a key but under-recognized figure of the second Harlem Renaissance. Inspired by the writings of activist and black nationalist Marcus Garvey Brathwaite along with his older brother Elombe Brath founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models (1962). AJASS was a collective of artists playwrights designers and dancers; Grandassa Models was a modeling troupe for black women founded to challenge white beauty standards. From stunning studio portraits of the Grandassa Models to behind-the-scenes images of Harlems artistic community including Max Roach Abbey Lincoln and Miles Davis this book offers a long-overdue exploration of Brathwaites life and work
