BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL: THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF KWAME BRATHWAITE by
Carol Kaufman Segal
A new
exhibition opened at the Skirball Cultural Center on April 11, the first of its
kind to highlight the photography of Kwame Brathwaite. Brathwaite was born in Brooklyn in 1938. In
the late 1950’s he and his brother, Elombe Brath, formed the African Jazz Arts Society (AJAS) whose
members included playwrights, graphic artist, dancers, and fashion
designers. They chose the word African
in deference to colored or negro.
In the
early 1960’s the Society created a modeling agency named Grandassa Models. The name
came from Grandassland, a name used by activist Carol Cooks to describe the
African Continent. They disproved of
images of pale thin models, light complexions, and straight black hair as seen
in Ebony magazines. 
In 1962 they premiered “naturally” Hair and
Fashion Extravaganzas, which, eventually, became annual events. The models wore African style clothes and
wore their hair au natural which helped popularize Black Is Beautiful and inspired many to reclaim their African
roots.
The exhibition features over
forty images including a portrait of his wife Sikolo in which she is wearing a beautiful
beaded headpiece and jewelry by Carolee Prince.
Take time to walk through this exhibition which, due to Brathwaite’s
work, is historical in its way.
SPOTLIGHT ANDY WARHOL 10 PORTRAITS OF JEWS OF 20TH CENTURY
When
visiting the Skirball Cultural Cente, don’t miss seeing the wonderful portraits
by Andy Warhol of the Marx Brothers, George Gershwin, Louis
Brandeis, Golda Meir, Gertrude Stein, Sarah Bernhardt, Martin Buber, Franz
Kafke, Sigmund Freud, and Albert
Einstein, all from 1980
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