To misquote Willie Nelson, “My Heroes Have Always Been Women” but even I must give credit where credit is due. When ever I’m asked who I most admire I never fail to mention the legendary Gordon Parks. My parents always told me that I could be what ever I wanted to be but it was Mr. Parks who showed me. Time and again he disproved the old saying, “Jack of all trades, master of none”.

Most people know him only as the director of Shaft but he was so much more. He wrote the novel The Learning Tree and also directed the movie. In fact, he was the first black person to direct a feature film for a major movie studio! Before that he had a very distinguished 20-year career as a photographer with Life magazine where he photographed everyone from movie stars to political figures as well as private individuals. He was also one of the first to travel to Brazil to photograph life in the Brazilian ghetto’s or "favelas“, bringing their stark realities to the American people.

I could go on singing his praises for a million paragraphs but I won’t. Just Google his name and you’ll find tons of information about his life and work. This blog entry is just Ms. GD’s little way of honoring a person who meant so much to her growing up. Thank you for all that you’ve done Mr. Parks. And thank you for showing a little Southern girl that it is possible to to do all the things you love and to do them well. But more importantly, thank you for teaching me that the only boundaries in this world are the ones I make for myself.

Gordon Parks -
Photographer, novelist, film director, poet, essayist, writer/producer, composer, philosopher, political activist, trail blazer, husband and father.

November 30, 1912 - March 7, 2006

Rest In Peace my brother…it is well deserved. - GD