After appearing in the 1968 London production of "Hair," Marsha Hunt and the image of her large Afro became an international icon of black beauty. Photo: Evening Standard / Stringer via Getty Images
To us "black beauty” is referring to a broad embrace of black culture and identity.
It called for an appreciation of the black past as a worthy legacy, and it inspired cultural pride in contemporary black achievements.
Naturally ’68 photo shoot, featuring Grandassa Models and founding members of Ajass. Photograph: Courtesy of the artist and Philip Martin Gallery
In 1962, a group of African American women gathered in Harlem. Wearing African-inspired designs along with their natural unstraightened hair, they stepped on stage at the Purple Manor for a fashion show called Naturally ’62. The slogan was “Black is Beautiful”.
The house was so packed that the organizers staged a second sold-out show. Then it became a regular event. The models were pioneering local activists called Grandassa models, and this night would be less known today if it weren’t for the group’s co-founder – and runway photographer – Kwame Brathwaite, now 81.
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