Gordon Parks was born in the year 1912 in Fort Scott, Kansas. He was the youngest of fifteen children and attended school when segregation was still prominent in the community. At the young age of fourteen Gord Parks sadly lost his mother. During his time working as a server for train travelers, he had access to a picture magazine that would be left behind by passengers and this would later serve as inspiration for his future work. His first opportunity to delve in the world of fashion photography was when he impressed Marilyn Murphy with his talent and she decided to have him shoot photos at her department store in St. Paul. Marva Louis. 

Gordon Parks’ work mostly revolved around his documentation of poor Americans living in the ghetto during the depression era. The events that happened during this time was what shaped Gordon Parks today. Today, we ourselves are experiencing a movement that is worth documenting. The BLM movement is finally everyone taking action against the abuse against the African American community.

When I went over Gordon Parks photos, it fired up a feeling inside that I could only describe as inspiring. Not only his photos portrayed his mastery with the skill of photography but it also tells a deeper story behind it.