Famed photographer Kwame Brathwaite, 85, made his transition peacefully in his sleep on April 1, 2023. As Harlem mourns the loss of AJASS Co-Founder Kwame Brathwaite and his contributions to the Black is Beautiful Legacy, there is a great opportunity upcoming for people to learn more about his contributions and hear from him in film that debuted last year and features rare interviews with Kwame Brathwaite.
The Herb Lubalin Study Center at Cooper Union in conjunction with Cultural Caravan Productions, Inc., presents a screening of the 7 x award-winning documentary, AJASS: Pioneers of the Black is Beautiful Movement, by Louise Dente.
The African Jazz-Art Society & Studios (AJASS) was founded in 1956 by a group of talented creatives inspired by the writings of activist and Black nationalist thinker Marcus Garvey, and his protégé, Carlos Cook of the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement (ANPM), AJASS was a collective of artists, playwrights, designers, musicians, and other Black creatives who sought to produce and promote their own work. Elombe Brath said that one of AJASS’s primary purposes was to “spread the idea of Black unity through appreciation of self, beauty of self — and to establish a Black standard.”
Dente’s documentary chronicles the journey of AJASS from its start in the South Bronx, where they first hosted jazz concerts, to Harlem where their projects expanded, helping to shape the visual landscape of the second Harlem Renaissance in the process. It features commentary from several prominent voices on the impact of AJASS and the Grandassa Models, their modeling troupe that showcased that Naturally Shows.Â
Kwame Braithwaite’s service
Monday, April 24, 2023
Viewing at 9am
Service at 10am
Abyssinian Baptist Church
132 West 138th Street Harlem, New York
(212) 862-7474
The office of New York State Assembly Member, Edward Gibbs, will present a Proclamations to the Filmmaker, Louise Dente, and several Grandassa Models. The Grandassa Models were the engine of the movement and first debuted in his district over 60 years ago. There will also be a panel and Q&A with Dente that is hosted by Harold Thomas of the Dwyer Cultural Center following the screening. Panelists include Cinque Brath, the Elombe Brath Foundation; Ajuba Grinage Bartley, Grandassa Model; and Basir Mchawi, Educator/Activist/ WBAI Radio host.
Visitors must show security proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test by a third party (not home test) within three days of their visit to campus or a negative rapid test result taken by a third party (not home test) on the day of the visit to campus.
If you have not seen the film yet visit Herb Lubalin Center on Friday, April 14th at 5:30pm, come to the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium, at 41 Cooper Square (on Third Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets)