BOOKS
Tanisha is the author of three books and countless articles.
“Writing books is challenging, but something in me can’t resist showing up to the page.” -Tanisha

Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful
Aperture, May 2019
The hidden figure behind the Black Is Beautiful movement finally gets his shine.
In the late 1950s and throughout the 1960s, Kwame Brathwaite used his photography to popularize the political slogan “Black Is Beautiful.” This monograph―the first ever dedicated to Brathwaite’s remarkable career―tells the story of a key, but under-recognized, figure of the second Harlem Renaissance.
Inspired by the writings of activist and black nationalist Marcus Garvey, Brathwaite, along with his older brother, Elombe Brath, founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) and the Grandassa Models (1962). AJASS was a collective of artists, playwrights, designers, and dancers; Grandassa Models was a modeling agency for black women, founded to challenge white beauty standards. From stunning studio portraits of the Grandassa Models to behind-the-scenes images of Harlem’s artistic community, including Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, and Miles Davis, this book offers a long-overdue exploration of Brathwaite’s life and work
MEDIA COVERAGE
Praise




Tanisha joins Deb Willis, Kwame S. Brathwaite (son of the famed photographer), and Marc Bamuthi Joseph in conversation at the Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco). They discuss Brathwaite's legacy, Black creative genius, and the museum's Black is Beautiful exhibition.