Gordon Parks (1912-2006) was a Renaissance man talented in many mediums, from photography and film to writing, music, and painting. He may be best known for directing the movie Shaft (1971) and creating moving works of documentary photojournalism with social justice themes. In many ways, Parks was an artist ahead of his times. His first film, The Learning Tree (1969, based on his autobiographical novel), was the first major motion picture with a Black director. In the 1980s, he made a film for PBS called Solomon Northup’s Odyssey based on the 1853 slave narrative that later inspired the movie 12 Years a Slave (2013). Parks also co-founded Essence magazine, published more than a dozen books, composed music for a ballet about Martin Luther King Jr., and received the Library of Congress’ “Living Legend” award.Read More »