Post by Laurence Aikens

Gordon Roger Alexander Buchanan Parks (November 30, 1912 – March 7, 2006) was a photographer, musician, writer, and film director, who became prominent in US documentary photojournalism in the 1940s through 1970s—particularly in issues of civil rights, poverty, and African-Americans—and in glamour photography. As the first famous pioneer among black filmmakers, he was the first African American to produce and direct major motion pictures—developing films relating the experience of slaves and struggling black Americans and creating the "blaxploitation" genre. He is best remembered for his iconic photos of poor Americans during the 1940s, for his photographic essays for Life magazine, and as the director of the 1971 film Shaft. He also was an author, poet, and composer. His autobiographical motion picture, The Learning Tree, and his African-American, anti-hero action-drama Shaft, have both been selected to be permanently preserved as part of the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. The Learning Tree was one of the original group of 25 films first selected by the LOC for the National Film Registry. The Smithsonian Institution has an extensive list of holdings related to him, particularly photos. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence