2. Basic Information
Born in 1912, Gordon Parks was born in Kansas. Although he was growing up in a time of
fierce racial discrimination, Parks did not become bitter. Instead, he remembered the words
of his mother and began to intolerant any sort of injustice. This aspect of his life is later
seen in his work. During the great depression, Parks struggled to find a musical jobs so he
bought a camera and began to study books on photography. He then began to document
poverty and racial issues in Chicago. In 1949, he became the first black photographer to
submit to Life Magazine. This was monumental because at the time, it was one of the more
popular magazines. Not only was he a photographer, he also produced movies, was a
musician and wrote.
22. Biblography
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, No. 40
(Summer, 2003), pp. 102-104Published by: The
JBHE Foundation
Parks, Gordon. Half Past Autumn. New York: A
Bulfinch P Book, 1997.
http://www.masters-of-
photography.com/P/parks/parks5.html
http://pdngallery.com/legends/parks/intro_set.sht
ml
