Beauty has a political dimension. Black people in the Western diaspora are often told we are incapable of beauty and thus of worth. This gorgeous book puts the lie to that. ( )

(Full disclosure: I received a free ARC for review through Goodreads.)

"I know that a girl with a book is unstoppable. [...] Just like my hair, my dreams defy gravity." - Havana Chapman-Edwards

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50885673107/

Kahran and Regis Bethencourt began their journey as professional photographers on the kid fashion industry circuit, where they became disillusioned with the lack of diversity and stifling, Eurocentric beauty standards.

"We didn't just want to question traditional beauty standards - we wanted to shatter them. We wanted to create images that flew in the face of the established spectrum of acceptable standard of beauty. With our pictures we wanted to tell a story of a people who for centuries were artists and artisans, strategists and intellectuals, warlords and warriors, kings and queens."

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50884849473/in/dateposted-public/

With their AfroArt series, the husband and wife duo behind CreativeSoul Photography did just this (do yourself a favor and visit them on instagram for some truly breathtaking artistry: @creativesoulphoto). The series quickly went viral, garnering praise from Will Smith, Jada Pinkett, Taraji P. Henson, Alicia Keys, and Common, as well as media overage from BBC News to Teen Vogue. GLORY: MAGICAL VISIONS OF BLACK BEAUTY is a natural extension of their work, bringing their brilliance and vision to the printed page.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50885569471/in/dateposted-public/

GLORY pairs the Bethencourt's stunning photography with short profiles of their subjects and inspiring quotes from Black leaders, intellectuals, artists, and cultures. The portraits are organized around three central themes: Past: Once and Future Kings and Queens; Present: Glory Prevails; and Future: Our Unbound Glory, which further underscores the project's message and amplifies the pageantry. Being a science fiction nerd myself, I expected to enjoy the last chapter the most - but they're all equally spectacular.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50885569751/

While many of the subjects are models, musicians, dancers, and performers and creatives, the Bethencourts also featured children from less privileged backgrounds, most notably through the Jamestown Project. Two of their own nieces also appear, which is pretty neat.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/smiteme/50885673972/

I also love how many of the kids are into STEM; in GLORY's pages, you'll meet children and young adults who want to be architects, astronauts, marine biologists, veterinarians, pilots, and comic books authors - as well as fashion designers, politicians, and singers. Some of the kids are already politically active - look for Mari Copeny, aka Little Miss Flint - and while a part of me wants to celebrate that, it's also shameful that kids have to clean up the messes of adults, rather than just being kids. ( )

Beautiful book! ( )

Beautiful book. I loved the photography and the little biographies of the models. The color scheme was amazing but thought that the dark background was too much sometimes to really appreciate the colors and lighting of the photos. ( )