Gordon Parks and the Stories We Choose to See

Gordon Parks

For October, L’aurelei D. turns to Gordon Parks and the power of storytelling to challenge what we think we know about one another.

In an issue exploring the conversations that change us, her reflection reminds us that the stories we tell—and those we leave untold—shape how people are seen and remembered. Parks understood that Black life could never be reduced to struggle alone. There was dignity, joy, creativity, and an entire world beyond what others chose to see.

— Mia
Founder & Editor, The Living Room Media

The way we see the world is often shaped by the stories we've been told about it. Some are repeated so often that we begin to accept them as the whole truth. Others are overlooked entirely. Gordon Parks spent much of his life challenging those limited perspectives, using his creativity to document people and experiences that were too often ignored or misunderstood.

Parks was a photographer, filmmaker, author, composer, and activist whose work explored race, poverty, identity, injustice, and the complexities of the human experience. While many recognize his iconic photography, he was also a gifted writer who understood the power of storytelling. Through his words and images, he captured not only the struggles of Black Americans but also their dignity, joy, and everyday lives. His work challenged audiences to look beyond the circumstances people faced and recognize the fullness of who they were.

In his memoir, A Choice of Weapons, Parks reflects on his journey through poverty, discrimination, and the challenges he faced on his path to becoming an influential artist. Rather than accepting the limitations imposed on him, he turned to creativity as a means of confronting injustice. His camera and his writing became tools for challenging the systems and narratives that attempted to define what he and others could become. His work did not erase those injustices, but it brought them into view and demanded that others acknowledge them.

What resonates with me is Parks's understanding of perspective. He recognized that the stories we tell, and the stories we choose not to tell, shape how we see one another. Too often, Black lives are presented through a narrow lens of struggle, hardship, or stereotypes. Parks challenged these narratives by showing the fullness of Black life, including moments of dignity, connection, joy, and ordinary experiences that are just as deserving of attention.

His work reminds us that we deserve to be seen not only for what we have endured but also for who we are, what we create, and the lives we choose to live. It also makes me consider how easily we can accept an incomplete picture of someone's life when we have only been shown one part of their story.

I've also been reflecting on the idea that we all have our own tools for creating change. For Parks, those tools were his camera, his pen, and his creativity. For others, they may be their voice, their leadership, or their willingness to stand up for someone else. We may not always have control over the circumstances we encounter, but we do have opportunities to decide how we respond and what we contribute to the world.

Parks's work reminds me that creating change can begin with paying attention. Questioning the stories we've accepted. Recognizing the people and experiences we may have overlooked. Being intentional about what we choose to share with others.

Because sometimes, changing the way we see someone is where a different conversation begins.

Continue Exploring

The Gordon Parks Foundation — Photography Archive

L'aurelei D. is the Founding Bookshelf Curator of The Living Room Media. Follow her on Instagram at @Laurelei.Durr.