But hid talents extended beyond still images.
In 1969, he became the first Black director of a major Hollywood film calledThe Learning Tree.
Parks was not just a prolific artist.
He was an advocate for civil rights.
His historical images remain poignant reminders of American history and the racial issues still faced today.
Read on to discover the stories behind six of his most famous photos.
Here are six iconic Gordon Parks photographs that capture African American lives during the 2oth century.
Watson cleaned the offices at night but was never promoted due to her race.
This image evokes empathy for the boys, who were clearly faced with a devastating reality.
The series was inspired by Ralph Ellisons bookInvisible Manwhich was released the same year.
The novel tells a story of a man who goes unnoticed due to the color of his skin.
The photo captures a man rising from an uncovered manhole with his face darkened by the nights shadows.
The subject stares straight into the eyes of the viewer, forcing them to really see him.
The series explored racial segregation, specifically through the eyes of the Thorton family from Alabama.
He captured their everyday struggles to overcome discrimination, revealing how prejudice pervades even the most ordinary moments.
Untitled, New York, 1963
Parks documented the Civil Rights Movement through the 1950s and 1960s.
This image features a man holding a protest sign that reads, We are living in a Police State.
More men are seen in the background, also holding up signs with similar messages.
The main subjects emotionally exhausted expression sums up the mood of the time.
In a series titledA Harlem Family, Parks captures the lives of the Fontenelle family.
Their tired faces capture the frustration felt by many African Americans facing racism and poverty at the time.
