Gordon Parks was many things but above all he was a photographer who captured the essence of that America was behind the scenes in the early and mid 1900’s. Capturing things like injustice, race relations, and civil rights. In this picture of Malcom X in 1963 which was taken in Chicago Illinois, you can see it was taken in black and white and has a strong sense of contrast of light and dark as a use of figure to ground. In the picture you can only see Malcolm X as the focal point on the image and everything beyond his is straight darkness. Nothing else so focus on but his actions as he held the rally, trying to guide his people. But this image gives off this sense of power that is radiating from Malcolm X.
At that time Gordon Parks came back to Chicago after decades to ultimately write an article about the Black Muslim movement. A lot of white reported where trying to get the scoop but with him being the only black one he was given an opportunity to do so which would help his career flourish. During his time there he spent weeks with the black Muslim community where he felt like he was able to reflect on his duel status as an insider and an outsider. In this picture he was able to capture Malcolm X in the mists of a speech which would help push this civil rights movement in the 1960’s. In which Parks could relate to coming from poverty as he acknowledged after this piece “These circumstances of common struggle has willed us brothers.”
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