Black author, photographer, and filmmaker Gordon Parks established himself as one of the most renowned documentarians of American life and culture in the 20^th century. Born in Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1912, he was drawn to photography as a young man after seeing images of migrant workers in a magazine. He would become one of the most esteemed photographers of all time, documenting segregation, poverty, and urban life over a career spanning more than five decades.

Local photographer Ann Dean discusses the impact and inspiration found in three of Parks’ seminal books: The Learning Tree (1963), A Choice of Weapons (1966), and Half Past Autumn (1997). She examines how these works were rooted in his mother’s teachings in love, dignity, and hard work – lessons still relevant in today’s complicated world – and what they tell us about his struggles and triumphs.

Dean is an artist and freelance photographer based in Lawrence, Kansas. She teaches photography at the Lawrence Arts Center.