The times they are a-changin’.
This post seems to be older than 10 years—a long time on the internet. Dated info and offers may no longer apply. Some technical info might be outdated. Please feel free to post a comment with any updated info .
The Above was taped on the 50th Anniversary of the Grandassa Models Naturally ’62 and what I consider the start of the “Black is Beautiful” Movement! He has since published a book!
and there is an exhibition on =
“Black Is Beautiful: The Photography of Kwame Brathwaite” is on at Los Angeles’ Skirball Cultural Center until Sept. 1, 2019.
Below is the 2013 articles as well as update links! (see past links at end of the post) Honestly, I have a ton of work to do, but I could at least stop long enough to honor those in whose footsteps I walk! Last Year (2012 ) I spent January 28th Speaking to Kwame Brathwaite and learned it was an economic marketing strategy to move us towards “Buying Black”.
It was a Movement that went viral to the Caribbean, Africa, Europe before the Internet! Artist-designers musicians they created and shared the message in the mediums they were familiar with! They shared and worked together… What I realized was that many of the efforts that were currently being executed around me in terms of The Black, African Diaspora Fashion/Creative Industry had been tried! What I also realized was that we had no real method of reporting and sharing from within the industry and this allowed misconstrued perceptions to flourish! Below is a list of links that tell more on the story, you can connect with Kwame on his instagram page!
This year I am continuing my Black Dress Project looking at Designers Of color Globally! I am Also Looking at a celebration Back Redress By, for and off designers within the Black diaspora Globally … I am spearheading a number of initiative to help designers and thus far the results have been great… but working together and building momentum…. We’ll see
Designers can add their info to be included in this and other marketing opportunities- SUBMIT here!
Naturally ’62 January 28th 1962
BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL
“The Original African Coiffure and Fashion Extravaganza Designed to Restore Our Racial Pride & Standards”
African Traditional and African inspired Fashions
We Walk In Their Shoes – AJASS The Grandasaa Models Clara Lewis, Helene White, Black Rose, Wanda Sims, Priscilla Bardonille, Beatrice Cranston, Mari Toussaint & Esther Davenport- AJASS- Kwame Brathwaith “AJASS, quoting from a 1927 article in the Amsterdam News describing why Garvey attracted so many people to his cause, is that “he taught that “Black is Beautiful.” Read more www.bkfff.com/article-category/black-dress/ http://www.bkfff.com/article-category/black-is-beautiful-50th/ http://goo.gl/sWbMJ copy of my original 1997 post on the Wayback Machine . NCA Wearable Art Fashion Extravaganza National Conference of Artist of Nw York http://goo.gl/nxRFJ
Fashion and Consciousness – The Grandassa Models and the
“Black is Beautiful” Movement
Kwame S. Brathwaite with photographs by Kwame Brathwaite
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/grandassa-models-birth-of-black-is.html for Part 1 of this series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/abbey-lincoln-jazz-grandassa-models.html for Part 2 of this series.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/12/descriptions-of-grandassa-models-their.html for Part 3 of this series.
other bloggers
http://eldhughes.com/2012/03/01/black-is-beautiful-50-year-anniversary-a-movement-that-went-viral-before-digital-technology/