Arts & Entertainment Spotlights

Gordon Parks

Gordan Parks was a trailblazer in film, photography, music, and literature. He was born on November 30, 1912, in Fort Scott, Kansas. After working many odd jobs, Parks bought his first camera at the age of 25. He became famous for his portraits of African American leaders such as Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and Stokely Carmichael. In 1948 Parks landed a position as a staff photographer for LIFE magazine. He became the first African American photographer for both LIFE and Vogue magazines. Parks would later begin a writing career, publishing his autobiography, The Learning Tree in 1962. In 1969 Parks became the first African American to direct a major Hollywood movie. His first film was an adaptation of his own autobiography. Parks' next movie, Shaft, was one of the biggest box offices hits in 1971. Gordan parks died at the age of 95 on March 7, 2006, in New York City.