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GLORY: Magical Visions of Black Beauty
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.
From Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, the dynamite husband and wife duo behind CreativeSoul Photography, comes GLORY, a photography book that shatters the conventional standards of beauty for Black children.
Featuring a foreword by Amanda Seales
With stunning images of natural hair and gorgeous, inventive visual storytelling, GLORY puts Black beauty front and center with more than 100 breathtaking photographs and a collection of powerful essays about the children. At its heart, it is a recognition and celebration of the versatility and innate beauty of black hair, and black beauty. The glorious coffee-table book pays homage to the story of our royal past, celebrates the glory of the here and now, and even dares to forecast the future.
It brings to life past, present, and future visions of black culture and showcases the power and beauty of recognizing and celebrating oneself. Beauty as an expression of who you are is power. When we define our own standards of beauty, we take back that power. GLORY encourages children around the world to feel that power and harness it.
From Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, the dynamite husband and wife duo behind CreativeSoul Photography, comes GLORY, a photography book that shatters the conventional standards of beauty for Black children.
Featuring a foreword by Amanda Seales
With stunning images of natural hair and gorgeous, inventive visual storytelling, GLORY puts Black beauty front and center with more than 100 breathtaking photographs and a collection of powerful essays about the children. At its heart, it is a recognition and celebration of the versatility and innate beauty of black hair, and black beauty. The glorious coffee-table book pays homage to the story of our royal past, celebrates the glory of the here and now, and even dares to forecast the future.
It brings to life past, present, and future visions of black culture and showcases the power and beauty of recognizing and celebrating oneself. Beauty as an expression of who you are is power. When we define our own standards of beauty, we take back that power. GLORY encourages children around the world to feel that power and harness it.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 20, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
October 15, 2020
When I received this book I was so impressed with the beautiful cover. Every page is filled with beautiful photos of Black children and their bios. The stories of each child in this book were empowering and the photos were stunning. I got to learn something about Black children from around the world. The amazing husband and wife duo of CreativeSoul Photography brings beauty. An inspiration to my soul. A book I highly recommend.
December 6, 2020
I knew that the ebook wouldn't do this justice when I put it on hold weeks or months ago but I just had to read this any way I could! This book was magical af! I will own a physical copy to gaze upon one day. There was kinky hair, coily hair, naturally red and blonde hair, beautiful braids and locs and so many hair art pieces. I could no sooner pick a favorite photo than a favorite bird in the sky but the one with the little girls in dresses and rollerskates put the biggest smile on my face! There were a few familiar faces but I won't give you spoilers since I was so pleasantly surprised to see them included in this book. Some of the little boys stole the show in their dapper suits and cool colored coily mohawk designs. I can't say enough about this book! I've seen a few booktubers either haul or mention this recently and I'm glad it's getting some hype because it deserves all the things!!
August 20, 2020
Received an arc from publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This book screams blackgirlmagic and blackboymagic. The pages are stunning with photos of beautiful black girls and boys looking like the royalty they are. The bios of the children are so interesting to read. I would love to get an hard copy are this to show it off.
This book screams blackgirlmagic and blackboymagic. The pages are stunning with photos of beautiful black girls and boys looking like the royalty they are. The bios of the children are so interesting to read. I would love to get an hard copy are this to show it off.
May 3, 2021
Kahran and Regis Bethencourt's Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty features a compelling collection of photographs, profiles and quotes from Black models and icons. The book centres around a diverse selection of young models who have been carefully styled to display dynamic and colourful representations of Black beauty and power.
The photography in this book is incredible. Everything from the outfits and jewelry to the hairstyles and makeup were so delicately thought out and no two looks were the same. The book also has profiles attached to some of the models which speaks to the remarkable talent, aspirations and diverse interests of the youth featured.
Glory is aesthetically pleasing and an important step towards dignified and glorious afrofuturism.
The photography in this book is incredible. Everything from the outfits and jewelry to the hairstyles and makeup were so delicately thought out and no two looks were the same. The book also has profiles attached to some of the models which speaks to the remarkable talent, aspirations and diverse interests of the youth featured.
Glory is aesthetically pleasing and an important step towards dignified and glorious afrofuturism.
July 7, 2020
Rec'd an ARC from the publisher on Edelweiss...
This book was beautiful, and I loved the little biographies of the models for each photo. My only critique is that often they were placed against a dark background to where their hair or parts of their outfit were difficult to discern which was a bummer given the beauty and intricacy of the portraits.
This book was beautiful, and I loved the little biographies of the models for each photo. My only critique is that often they were placed against a dark background to where their hair or parts of their outfit were difficult to discern which was a bummer given the beauty and intricacy of the portraits.
September 4, 2020
Cute book, wish all pages were colored as photos but still a nice book to browse through. It reminded me of an international little kid version of "Humans of New York."
August 21, 2020
This is everything! Especially right now, this book is magical. The stories of these amazing children are inspiring. But, of course, the star of this book is the amazing photos. They are stunning and powerful. So much emotion and beauty are expressed in each and every photo. I teared up looking at these children who look like me, look like my Momma, Grandma, and all those who came before me.
These photos are of my ancestors' wildest dreams and it is beautiful...Absolutely beautiful!
These photos are of my ancestors' wildest dreams and it is beautiful...Absolutely beautiful!
December 16, 2020
I think I need to buy this book. I've poured over every page three times and there are more than 200 pages. Two hundred pages of beautiful black children who talented, strong, and have big dreams. The photographs are absolutely breathtaking. The library is going to insist that I return this book, so I'll just have to buy it.
January 30, 2023
What can I say about this visually stunning book? I wanted to read it to fulfill a PopSugar reading prompt about travel but this book just made me proud to be Black. Of course the children in the book were from Africa, France, the United States etc. but their powerful stories of resilience and learning to truly love their black and their hair is refreshing since so many people are taught to it these features.
If you want to see beautiful pictures and read stories about black children making a difference in the world then this book is for you!!
If you want to see beautiful pictures and read stories about black children making a difference in the world then this book is for you!!
July 3, 2021
This is a beautiful and profound collection of photographs and experiences.
September 24, 2020
This book is amazing and would have been easily a 5-star review had it had a few tweaks, allowing the reader to not strain their eyes trying to read the words in white on a black background. It just ruined trying to read the bio of the individuals being photographed. My second complaint was that the background for the pictures being dark made the characters just blend into the background, rather than shine through the pages.
A few, and only a very few pages are full color works of art and they are exquisite--I truly wish the rest of the book had been given the same consideration.
I won an advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to the library.
A few, and only a very few pages are full color works of art and they are exquisite--I truly wish the rest of the book had been given the same consideration.
I won an advanced reading copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it to the library.
September 7, 2020
This is a gorgeous book filled with captivating pictures of black children in cultural dress. Each stunning photo is paired with a bio telling why each one is unique and strong. I have hope for a future that is in the hands of such intelligent and driven youth.
October 20, 2020
Absolutely stunning
January 25, 2021
Glory is not only a gorgeous art book it is a celebration of the past, present, and futures of young people of color around the world. Interspersed with scene spreads, quotes, and commentary on the theme, the bulk of this is comprised of full page single model shots followed by a model bio, these bios tell a range of stories of the successes of these children everything from supporting their family to starting businesses or charities, children who are innovating in science and art, of all skin tones and styles. More importantly one thing that sticks with me is how well it does in imparting their dreams for the future in a way it feels certain to come.
September 29, 2021
“I think it's incredible what you can find with just a quick trip down to your local library”
⸻ Denise Hemphill, Scream Queens
Obviously, that quote is not in this book, but it pleasantly surprised me to find this book on my local library's Overdrive page.
This is a photography book filled with beautiful Black children and small bios about them. I must say, these Gen Z kids are next level and our absolute future.
⸻ Denise Hemphill, Scream Queens
Obviously, that quote is not in this book, but it pleasantly surprised me to find this book on my local library's Overdrive page.
This is a photography book filled with beautiful Black children and small bios about them. I must say, these Gen Z kids are next level and our absolute future.
March 4, 2021
This is a stunningly beautiful book that combines fantastic photos of Black kids in imaginative haute couture with mini-bios of the models for the photos. It's inspiring and moving and just candy for the eyes. I definitely recommend picking this up!
March 12, 2021
Such a beautiful book full of amazing photos and inspiring mini bios of the children. It really creates a feeling of awe, and absolute joy ❤️ I hope there is a future volume so that we can follow their journeys and successes.
December 7, 2022
GLORY is truly a stunning collection of photography, quotes, and essays that celebrate blackness and black children across the black diaspora. I love to see such beautiful portrayals of natural hair and various shades of black beautiful represented in these pages! Definitely pick this up!
May 11, 2021
Gorgeous photographs of inspiring black youth pride.
June 22, 2021
Stunning images of black children from across the globe. Appreciate the authors/photographers' goal to encourage children of color to see themselves in the fullness of their unique beauty.
August 4, 2021
gorgeous and inspirational from beginning to end!
December 28, 2021
Beautiful.
February 20, 2023
Breathtakingly beautiful, powerful.
December 12, 2020
AWESOME and inspiring book..love the pictures!! Great quotes throughout the book as well..a couple of my favorite ones:
"If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom"..African proverb
"If you're always trying to be normal you'll never know how amazing you can be"..Maya Angelou
"If you are filled with pride, then you will have no room for wisdom"..African proverb
"If you're always trying to be normal you'll never know how amazing you can be"..Maya Angelou
October 20, 2020
Absolutely beautiful, breathtaking and necessary for little black girls in world that tries to them that their only value is a sexual one....
I plan to gift as many as I possibly can to every little brown girl I know.
I plan to gift as many as I possibly can to every little brown girl I know.
February 28, 2021
Beautiful and powerful. Loved reading about all the kids - gives me hope for the future.
April 3, 2021
Beautiful pictures and I like that the stories of some of the models were included. I wish all the models had a space to share their stories.
March 10, 2025
TL;DR… Good book! Nice images. Writing is a little lackluster. Lack of connection between models and writing. Lack of explanation on ethnic outfits, design elements, and composition, but I would say this book is so much better from a character designing perspective! 3.5
This book is pretty good. Would recommend. I think the book has excellent photography, and showcases how youths are empowered through their activism at such young ages. The photography is good, the designs of their outfits are absolutely stunning, and I fell in love with the book.
My criticisms are more so preferences of missed opportunity. I would have LOVED to hear more about why certain design choices were made, what are the origins and inspirations of the outfits? I am a huge history nerd and think that would help a lot with fleshing out how the photo connects to the activist themselves. I think the book did what it was meant to do, see black youth in beautiful ways unfamiliar to us. As a black youth I did feel that they were beautiful, but I didn’t feel like I was as my heritage wasn’t connected to theirs. I wanted to see the heritage we shared and the choices made into the composition, the design, the fashion, the make up. I want to feel empowered as they do, and in a way I do, just wishing there was more information about the photography themselves as we as readers are kind of disconnected from the people in the photos. The photos don’t really tell us anything about the person, so it’s like, why bother getting to know them? If we had more connection to design choices that are thoroughly explained or some more unique composition- Perhaps re enactments of scenes revisioned or just more explaination on why we should care. In the introduction it explained that but I want to know why we should care about these individuals, why we should care about their aspirations. Some photos had a bit too much airbrush on the faces of the girls which made them felt really plastic. If a book is all about natural beauty why hide so many imperfections? The book’s writing isn’t engaging. It’s just explaining to me about the model’s lives and their accomplishments, which, is cool and definitely is inspiring. I just think since there’s a lack of connection to the most of the photos (most photos are just the models looking absolutely stunning with no substance or reason for how it correlates to the model) provides apathy into the writings and made me not care for the models
Still, I will keep coming back to this book. I wish I could rate it a 3.5, quite possibly bumping it up to a 4 because as a character designer, seeing authentic black beauty is inspiring from an artistic standpoint. Especially the hair. I can design and draw dozens of black characters using this book as my inspiration. I can see myself coming back to this book so if you are someone who really like character designer or some artist who just needs inspiration on drawing black beauty- I can’t recommend this book enough. For the average reader however, especially for the stated demographic of black youth (which I am) I would still recommend it if asked for my feedback, but it’s not a book I would recommend upon being asked unless I was asked specially about photography books, which, I would probably recommend this one s I haven’t read many.
This book is pretty good. Would recommend. I think the book has excellent photography, and showcases how youths are empowered through their activism at such young ages. The photography is good, the designs of their outfits are absolutely stunning, and I fell in love with the book.
My criticisms are more so preferences of missed opportunity. I would have LOVED to hear more about why certain design choices were made, what are the origins and inspirations of the outfits? I am a huge history nerd and think that would help a lot with fleshing out how the photo connects to the activist themselves. I think the book did what it was meant to do, see black youth in beautiful ways unfamiliar to us. As a black youth I did feel that they were beautiful, but I didn’t feel like I was as my heritage wasn’t connected to theirs. I wanted to see the heritage we shared and the choices made into the composition, the design, the fashion, the make up. I want to feel empowered as they do, and in a way I do, just wishing there was more information about the photography themselves as we as readers are kind of disconnected from the people in the photos. The photos don’t really tell us anything about the person, so it’s like, why bother getting to know them? If we had more connection to design choices that are thoroughly explained or some more unique composition- Perhaps re enactments of scenes revisioned or just more explaination on why we should care. In the introduction it explained that but I want to know why we should care about these individuals, why we should care about their aspirations. Some photos had a bit too much airbrush on the faces of the girls which made them felt really plastic. If a book is all about natural beauty why hide so many imperfections? The book’s writing isn’t engaging. It’s just explaining to me about the model’s lives and their accomplishments, which, is cool and definitely is inspiring. I just think since there’s a lack of connection to the most of the photos (most photos are just the models looking absolutely stunning with no substance or reason for how it correlates to the model) provides apathy into the writings and made me not care for the models
Still, I will keep coming back to this book. I wish I could rate it a 3.5, quite possibly bumping it up to a 4 because as a character designer, seeing authentic black beauty is inspiring from an artistic standpoint. Especially the hair. I can design and draw dozens of black characters using this book as my inspiration. I can see myself coming back to this book so if you are someone who really like character designer or some artist who just needs inspiration on drawing black beauty- I can’t recommend this book enough. For the average reader however, especially for the stated demographic of black youth (which I am) I would still recommend it if asked for my feedback, but it’s not a book I would recommend upon being asked unless I was asked specially about photography books, which, I would probably recommend this one s I haven’t read many.
October 3, 2020
*I received an Advanced Reader’s copy of Glory: Magical Visions of Black Beauty in exchange of an honest review*
Wow is literally the first word that will come from your mouth as you pick up this breathtaking ode to Black Excellence. From page to page, we are presented with imagery and stories throughout the Diaspora. While the cover and first few photos are in color to mise en scène the multitude of complexities of Blackness. The preceding photos are equivocal to presenting the two layers that truly exist in our world: Black and White. The foreword by Amanda Seales and the Introduction by the curators, Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, of this masterful piece de resistance evokes what is like to be Black in America and ends with a recognition that no matter where Black bodies are in this World - we are united in how dangerous our skins colors - in every shade, make us and how our self-love, unity, and pride will empower us as this Marathon Continues.
From the outfits embroidered with heritage - colors, patterns, and shells, that denote royalty, richness, beauty and a hint of defiance. To the bold, delicate, and glorious crowns fashioned from hair styles. The Bethencourts did not waste any moments of highlighting the innate beauty of Blackness. Every passage, has a message from members of the Diaspora - Ghana, Haiti, Georgia, England, etc. The subtleties placed including even a nod to the Four Little Girls. Praises to the Bethencourts for this work dedicate to every member of the Diaspora protesting to just “be”.
#ForTheCulture #AmplifyBlackVoices #stmartinpress #shareblackstories
Wow is literally the first word that will come from your mouth as you pick up this breathtaking ode to Black Excellence. From page to page, we are presented with imagery and stories throughout the Diaspora. While the cover and first few photos are in color to mise en scène the multitude of complexities of Blackness. The preceding photos are equivocal to presenting the two layers that truly exist in our world: Black and White. The foreword by Amanda Seales and the Introduction by the curators, Kahran and Regis Bethencourt, of this masterful piece de resistance evokes what is like to be Black in America and ends with a recognition that no matter where Black bodies are in this World - we are united in how dangerous our skins colors - in every shade, make us and how our self-love, unity, and pride will empower us as this Marathon Continues.
From the outfits embroidered with heritage - colors, patterns, and shells, that denote royalty, richness, beauty and a hint of defiance. To the bold, delicate, and glorious crowns fashioned from hair styles. The Bethencourts did not waste any moments of highlighting the innate beauty of Blackness. Every passage, has a message from members of the Diaspora - Ghana, Haiti, Georgia, England, etc. The subtleties placed including even a nod to the Four Little Girls. Praises to the Bethencourts for this work dedicate to every member of the Diaspora protesting to just “be”.
#ForTheCulture #AmplifyBlackVoices #stmartinpress #shareblackstories
September 27, 2020
It is a very beautiful book. I received an Advanced Review Copy as a win from the FirstReads.
The photos are gorgeous and I wish that this book could be in all libraries to instill pride in the hair , skin and eyes of all black children. There were many inspriring stories from the children themselves. I learned that dreadlocks and other hairstyles prevent many children in Africa from attending school. That surprised me a lot.
I hope this will be a beginning of a series of books! I was really inspired by the blacks who stood out from their community and learned to accept their albinalism Then what about about beuatiful hispanic children? Children with disabilities? Children who would grow up to be little people.
Also, I learned that many children even when they have school have to work to help support their families. I would love to learn more about that. And there are children who are inventors who hav made big differences in the lives of their communities. Please tell me more about them. I have read about some childten around the world doing this and I would love to see a book bringing this achievement together in a book.
My thoughts and ideas in this review are entirely my own.
The photos are gorgeous and I wish that this book could be in all libraries to instill pride in the hair , skin and eyes of all black children. There were many inspriring stories from the children themselves. I learned that dreadlocks and other hairstyles prevent many children in Africa from attending school. That surprised me a lot.
I hope this will be a beginning of a series of books! I was really inspired by the blacks who stood out from their community and learned to accept their albinalism Then what about about beuatiful hispanic children? Children with disabilities? Children who would grow up to be little people.
Also, I learned that many children even when they have school have to work to help support their families. I would love to learn more about that. And there are children who are inventors who hav made big differences in the lives of their communities. Please tell me more about them. I have read about some childten around the world doing this and I would love to see a book bringing this achievement together in a book.
My thoughts and ideas in this review are entirely my own.
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