Gordon Parks

American photographer, musician, writer and film director (1912–2006)
Person human Q365682
Gordon Parks
Rowland Scherman · Public Domain · Wikimedia
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Gordon Parks was born on November 30, 1912, in Fort Scott and was a citizen of the United States [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. He worked as a film director, photographer, actor, photojournalist, screenwriter, and journalist [14][10][15][16][17][18]. Parks was educated at St. Paul Central High School, Ricker College, and Storm King School . His work was associated with the social realism movement and focused on the portrait genre [19][13].

He was the father of Gordon Parks, Jr., David Parks, Leslie Parks, and Toni Parks [15]. Parks received numerous awards, including the Spingarn Medal, the National Medal of Arts, the Library of Congress Living Legend designation, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, induction into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, and the Lucie Award, along with two additional honors [20][21].

Gordon Parks died on March 7, 2006, in New York City due to cancer [14][1][2][3][5][6][22][23][7][8][9][10][11]. He was buried at Evergreen Cemetery [6].

Gordon Parks

Summary

Gordon Parks is a human[1]. His place of birth was Fort Scott[2]. He was born on November 30, 1912[3]. He died in New York City[4]. He died on March 7, 2006[5]. He worked as a film director[6], photographer[7], actor[8], photojournalist[9], and screenwriter[10]. He has Wikipedia articles in 17 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[11]

Key Facts

  • Gordon Parks's place of birth was Fort Scott[2].
  • Gordon Parks passed away in New York City[4].
  • Gordon Parks was born on November 30, 1912[3].
  • Gordon Parks died on March 7, 2006[5].
  • Burial took place at Evergreen Cemetery[12].
  • Among Gordon Parks's spouses was Genevieve Young[13].
  • A child of Gordon Parks was Gordon Parks, Jr.[14].
  • A child of Gordon Parks was David Parks[15].
  • A child of Gordon Parks was Leslie Parks[16].
  • A child of Gordon Parks was Toni Parks[17].
  • Gordon Parks held citizenship in United States[18].
  • English was Gordon Parks's native language[19].
  • Gordon Parks is identified as part of the African Americans ethnic group[20].
  • Gordon Parks's professions included film director[6].
  • Gordon Parks worked as a photographer[7].
  • Gordon Parks worked as an actor[8].
  • Gordon Parks worked as a photojournalist[9].
  • Gordon Parks worked as a screenwriter[10].
  • Gordon Parks's professions included journalist[21].
  • Among Gordon Parks's employers was Farm Security Administration[22].
  • Gordon Parks was educated at St. Paul Central High School[23].
  • Gordon Parks's education included a stint at Ricker College[24].
  • Gordon Parks was educated at Storm King School[25].
  • Gordon Parks received the Spingarn Medal[26].
  • Gordon Parks received the National Medal of Arts[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Gordon Parks's place of birth was Fort Scott[2]. He was born on November 30, 1912[3]. He is identified as part of the African Americans ethnic group[20]. English was his native language[19].

Education

Educated at St. Paul Central High School[23], a high school[28], in United States[29], founded in 1866[30]; Ricker College[24], a college[31], in United States[32], founded in 1848[33]; and Storm King School[25], a boarding school[34], in United States[35], founded in 1867[36].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include film director[6], photographer[7], actor[8], photojournalist[9], screenwriter[10], and journalist[21]. Gordon Parks was employed by Farm Security Administration[22].

Recognition

Awards received include Spingarn Medal[26], a medallion[37], in United States[38], founded in 1914[39]; National Medal of Arts[27], a medallion[40], in United States[41], founded in 1984[42]; Library of Congress Living Legend[43], an award[44], in United States[45], founded in 2000[46]; Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards[47], a literary award[48], in United States[49], founded in 1935[50]; National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame[51], a hall of fame[52], in United States[53]; and Lucie Award[54], an art prize[55], founded in 2003[56].

Personal Life

Among Gordon Parks's spouses was Genevieve Young[13]. Children include he, Jr.[14], a film director[57], 1934–1979[58], of United States[59]; David Parks[15], a photographer[60], b. 1944[61], of United States[62], awarded the Purple Heart[63]; Leslie Parks[16], b. 1968[64], of Canada[65]; and Toni Parks[17], a photographer[66], 1940–2015[67].

Death and Burial

Gordon Parks died on March 7, 2006[5]. He died in New York City[4]. The cause of death was cancer[68]. Burial took place at Evergreen Cemetery[12].

Why It Matters

Gordon Parks has Wikipedia articles in 17 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[11] He is known by 10 alternative names across languages and contexts.[69]

FAQs

Where was Gordon Parks born?

Gordon Parks's place of birth was Fort Scott[2].

Where did Gordon Parks die?

Gordon Parks passed away in New York City[4].

Who was Gordon Parks married to?

Gordon Parks's spouses include Genevieve Young[13].

What did Gordon Parks do for work?

Gordon Parks worked as film director[6], photographer[7], actor[8], photojournalist[9], and screenwriter[10].

Where did Gordon Parks go to school?

Gordon Parks was educated at St. Paul Central High School[23], Ricker College[24], and Storm King School[25].

What awards did Gordon Parks receive?

Honors received include Spingarn Medal[26], National Medal of Arts[27], Library of Congress Living Legend[43], and Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards[47].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . BnF authorities. blackpast.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . blackpast.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  3. [13] . wikidata.org.
  4. [18] . Museum of Modern Art online collection. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  5. [14] . wikidata.org.
  6. [15] . wikidata.org.
  7. [16] . wikidata.org.
  8. [17] . nytimes.com. nytimes.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  9. [23] . wikidata.org.
  10. [24] . wikidata.org.
  11. [25] . wikidata.org.
  12. [19] . wikidata.org.
  13. [6] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . news.bbc.co.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  14. [7] . The Fine Art Archive. Retrieved . nytimes.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  15. [8] . wikidata.org.
  16. [9] . wikidata.org.
  17. [10] . wikidata.org.
  18. [21] . wikidata.org.
  19. [22] . wikidata.org.
  20. [12] . Find a Grave. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  21. [26] . Encyclopædia Britannica Online. wikidata.org.
  22. [27] . wikidata.org.
  23. [43] . loc.gov. loc.gov. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [47] . wikidata.org.
  25. [51] . wikidata.org.
  26. [54] . wikidata.org.
  27. [20] . Museum of Modern Art online collection. Retrieved . jenkinsjohnsongallery.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  28. [68] . wikidata.org.
  29. [3] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . blackpast.org. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  30. [5] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . news.bbc.co.uk. Provenance: wikidata.org.

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [59] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [28] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [29] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [30] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [31] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [32] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [48] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [52] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [56] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  2. [69] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

📑 Cite this page

Use these citations when quoting this entity in research, articles, AI prompts, or wherever provenance matters. We aggregate Wikidata + Wikipedia + authoritative open-data sources; the stitched, scored, cross-referenced view is what 4ort.xyz contributes.

APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Gordon Parks. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/gordon-parks
MLA “Gordon Parks.” 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph, 4ort.xyz, 10 Apr. 2026, https://4ort.xyz/entity/gordon-parks.
BibTeX @misc{4ortxyz_gordon-parks_2026, author = {{4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph}}, title = {{Gordon Parks}}, year = {2026}, url = {https://4ort.xyz/entity/gordon-parks}, note = {Accessed: 2026-04-10}}
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Edit History

Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 18d ago · Yirba · 2026-08-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    P14750 7EEB-33AA-2445-4C25-0F52
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/46379|batch #46379]]: HAND ID (2)"
  2. 15w ago · An Indexer · 2026-05-10 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Child Gordon Parks, Jr., David Parks, Leslie Parks +1
    Related category Category:Films directed by Gordon Parks
    Participant in The Family of Man
    Sex or gender male
    + 38 other properties edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbsetclaim-update:2||1 */ [[Property:P6379]]: [[Q214867]]"
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