Fashion

Kwame Braithwaite’s Black Is Beautiful Photography

By Chioma Nnadi
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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Naturally '68 photo shoot in the Apollo Theater featuring Grandassa models and founding AJASS members Kwame Brathwaite, Frank Adu, Elombe Brath, and Ernest Baxter.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Grandassa model Sikolo Braithwaite in Carolee Prince Designs.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Grandassa models at the Merton Simpson Gallery in New York.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Grandassa model Brenda Deaver photographed in 1965.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Grandassa Model Pat Bardonelle at the Garvey Day Parade in 1967.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Garvey Day at the Renaissance Casino Ballroom in 1966.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    One of the original eight Grandassa models, Nomsa designed many of the clothes of the Naturally shows.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Grandassa model Nomsa photographed in 1964.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    Grandassa model Sikolo Braithwaite photographed in 1968.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    A photo shoot at a school for one of the many modeling groups that had begun to embrace natural hairstyles in the 1960s.

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    Photo: Kwame Brathwaite © / Courtesy of Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles
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    A self portrait of the photographer, Kwame Brathwaite.