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Gordon Parks: Art as a Weapon Against Injustice
4 Mar
Summary
- Gordon Parks' powerful photos documented segregation in the Jim Crow South.
- A new exhibit curated by Bryan Stevenson showcases Parks' work from 1942-1967.
- Parks used his camera as a 'weapon of choice' against social injustices.

In the summer of 1956, Gordon Parks, Life magazine's first Black staff photographer, was sent to Alabama to capture the era of segregation. His striking images offered intimate views of the Jim Crow South, many of which are now featured in a new survey at London's Alison Jacques gallery. Bryan Stevenson, renowned civil rights attorney, curated the exhibition, selecting works from Parks' most active period between 1942 and 1967.
Stevenson notes the exhibit's urgency amid current historical revisionism and censorship in the United States. Parks' photographs, particularly his color images of the Thornton family in Mobile, Alabama, vividly illustrate the indignities of 'separate but equal.' These works convey the harm of exclusion, resonating with Stevenson's own experiences.



