Afropunk 2018 Inspo: Kwame Brathwaite’s ‘Black Is Beautiful’ Series

“My goal was always to capture the beauty of black women, to restore black pride and the spirit of black women.”

— photographer Kwame Brathwaite on the Grandassa models who participated in his 1960s “Naturally” pageants. The events, which were held in a Harlem nightclub, helped give rise to the “Black Is Beautiful” vibe that would dominate (and subvert) black culture through the 1970s.

Click through the gallery below for some inspiration for Afropunk Brooklyn this weekend:

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Amirah MercerAugust 23, 2018photography, 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite, Harlem, Afropunk, History, Essays