A Street Naming in Honor of Helene Nomsa Brath: Mother of Activism
On September 28th, 2024, Helene Nomsa Brath will receive one of the city’s highest honors: a street naming, to be installed at 112th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) in Harlem, outside her former residence and in the community, she uplifted and lived in. Cinque Brath, son of Nomsa and Elombe Brath, proposed the idea to Yusef Salaam, City Councilman of District 9, shortly after her passing on October 30th, 2023. Councilman Yusef Salaam, is one of the Exonerated Five, who Nomsa and Elombe Brath were instrumental in advocating for thirty-five years ago. Nomsa was specifically responsible for forming “Mother’s Love,” a group of women organized to address wrongfully accused Black male youth in New York City.
The story of the Central Park Five, now the Exonerated Five, and those who advocated for them is depicted in the #1 most-watched Netflix miniseries “When They See Us” (2019). In addition to actress Adepero Oduye’s portrayal of Nomsa Brath in “When They See Us,” her life and activism are the subjects of several documentaries and films, including “You Say You Want a Revolution: Records & Rebels 1966-1970” (2019) by UK director Emily Harris and “AJASS Pioneers of the Black is Beautiful Movement,” the award-winning documentary by Louise Dente (2022). Harris’ film was screened in the UK at the Victoria and Albert Museum in conjunction with an exhibit by the same name, highlighting Nomsa Brath’s prowess as a skilled organizer and activist. “AJASS: Pioneers of the Black is Beautiful Movement,” produced and directed by Louise Dente, has received awards nationally and internationally and engages the full scope of African Jazz and Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) as an organization that had great social, cultural, and political implications in and beyond the Black community, still evidenced in contemporary society. However, this dynamic documentary is not the culmination of Louise Dente’s work, which includes Helene Nomsa Brath. Ms. Dente is currently working on a new documentary, entitled “Nomsa Was Her Name,” which will focus on Nomsa through the eyes of her friends and family, set to be released this fall.
The accolades accredited to Helene Nomsa Brath are extensive and include her early life as one of the original Grandassa Models, a modeling ensemble created by African Jazz and Arts Society and Studios (AJASS), founded by Elombe Brath and Kwame Brathwaite in 1956. The Black Arts Movement can be best understood in three waves; AJASS were pioneers of the second wave (1950-1970s) that swept the nation, invoking all aspects of the African aesthetic with music, motif, imagery, painting, and more. Initially, AJASS began by organizing and securing the African musical tradition and genre known as Jazz to Bronx communities. The production quickly expanded to include a modeling troupe called the Grandassa Models, who donned African attire, motif, and natural hair.
Nomsa Brath, a founding member and original Grandassa model, has been prominently featured on numerous magazines and record albums, as well as replicated by community artists and exhibited at esteemed institutions, including The New York Historical Society, as part of the groundbreaking Black is Beautiful Tour, showcasing images by Kwame Brathwaite. An all-around natural beauty and representative of the African aesthetic, Nomsa Brath toured the nation with the Grandassa models, showcased in the “Naturally Shows: The Original African Coiffure.” The Black is Beautiful Movement played an essential role in the positive transformation of the Black community nationally, raising collective self-esteem through artistic expression. Today, images of Nomsa Brath and the Grandassa models are a source of inspiration found in the aesthetic of contemporary clothing lines like Fenty, created by artist and singer Rihanna.
Helene Nomsa Brath’s impact extended well beyond her contributions to the Black is Beautiful Movement. Nomsa was an exceptional mother, a “mother of activism,” as she created and worked with numerous educational committees and organizations. She served as President of the Parent Teachers Association (PTA) and chair of the Parents Committee at two local public schools in Harlem. A diligent force in education reform, when she decided to homeschool her last two children, she added that agenda to her list of efforts. In 1997, Nomsa Brath represented parents on a panel for Education Reform on C-SPAN as part of their special coverage on U.S. Education of Urban Residents. In addition to this, she became the spokesperson for the New York Urban League’s Partners for Reform in Math and Science initiative.
One of the greatest challenges Nomsa Brath undertook and overcame was the removal of asbestos from New York City public schools. She led the effort for asbestos abatement in the community and schools closest to her, where her children attended in Harlem. As a whistleblower and activist, when Nomsa realized that education officials were ignoring scientific studies indicating that 20% of NYC schools had detectable levels of asbestos, a known cause of mesothelioma, she sprang into action. When New York City Department of Education officials refused to provide the necessary equipment for testing in public schools, Nomsa responded by organizing and raising funds through community efforts. Her son, Cinque Brath, recalled telling his younger brother, “Mommy had our school shut down,” when he saw on the local news that his school, PS 185 and 208, had been closed due to asbestos detection. Consequently, numerous local schools were closed due to asbestos detection in the Harlem community. Nomsa worked with the Superintendent of Schools to protect children’s health, ensuring that schools were inspected and locations with asbestos were closed. In open letters between the United Teachers Federation (UTF), parents, and staff, Nomsa Brath is recognized as the whistleblower who single-handedly led the fight to address the asbestos issue. As a result of her efforts, federal guidelines and regulations on asbestos testing and detection have been revised and expanded nationally.
Helene Nomsa Brath was married to Elombe Brath, with whom she shared a partnership in love and struggle; she was a mother to six biological sons, one daughter, and her niece. On September 28th, 2024, she will take her rightful place in history, with a street named in her honor, Helene Nomsa Brath Way (112th Street & Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard/7th Avenue). In the tradition of the African culture she represented, Helene Nomsa Brath is Maa Kheru (true of voice/justified), a title bestowed upon those whose lives have exemplified the principles of Maat (balance, justice, truth, and reciprocity). Helene Nomsa Brath’s name will forever be remembered.
Dr. Tyrene Wright (@DrWright24) is a scholar-activist and author of “Booker T. Washington & Africa: The Making of a Pan-Africanist”.
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