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 ranks in the top 0.68% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,690 views/month, #6,821 of 1,000,298).[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].

Product Details

The following facts are restated verbatim from public-domain and CC0 open-data sources — every line is independently verifiable against the named source's catalog.

MusicBrainz — CC0 open music encyclopedia

  • Type: Person[28]

  • Country: US[29]

  • Began / founded: 1912-11-30[30]

  • Ended / dissolved: 2006-03-07[31]

  • MusicBrainz ID: 31feaf8f-dbd0-4bfb-a897-6c04761bdab2[32]

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[33], in United States[34], founded in 1866[35]; Ricker College[24], a college[36], in United States[37], founded in 1848[38]; and Storm King School[25], a boarding school[39], in United States[40], founded in 1867[41].

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[42], in United States[43], founded in 1914[44]; National Medal of Arts[27], a medallion[45], in United States[46], founded in 1984[47]; Library of Congress Living Legend[48], an award[49], in United States[50], founded in 2000[51]; Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards[52], a literary award[53], in United States[54], founded in 1935[55]; National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame[56], a hall of fame[57], in United States[58]; and Lucie Award[59], an art prize[60], founded in 2003[61].

Personal Life

Among Gordon Parks's spouses was Genevieve Young[13]. Children include he, Jr.[14], a film director[62], 1934–1979[63], of United States[64]; David Parks[15], a photographer[65], b. 1944[66], of United States[67], awarded the Purple Heart[68]; Leslie Parks[16], b. 1968[69], of Canada[70]; and Toni Parks[17], a photographer[71], 1940–2015[72].

Death and Burial

Gordon Parks died on March 7, 2006[5]. He died in New York City[4]. The cause of death was cancer[73]. Burial took place at Evergreen Cemetery[12].

Why It Matters

Gordon Parks ranks in the top 0.68% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (1,690 views/month, #6,821 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 17 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[74] He is known by 10 alternative names across languages and contexts.[75]

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[48], and Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards[52].

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. [48] . loc.gov. loc.gov. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  24. [52] . wikidata.org.
  25. [56] . wikidata.org.
  26. [59] . wikidata.org.
  27. [20] . Museum of Modern Art online collection. Retrieved . jenkinsjohnsongallery.com. Provenance: wikidata.org.
  28. [73] . 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.

Product details (FDA / USDA / NHTSA public-domain catalog data)

  1. [28] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  2. [29] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  3. [30] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  4. [31] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.
  5. [32] . MusicBrainz (MetaBrainz Foundation). musicbrainz.org.

Inline context (facts about related entities)

  1. [62] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  2. [63] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  3. [64] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  4. [65] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  5. [66] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  6. [67] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  7. [68] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  8. [69] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  9. [70] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  10. [71] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  11. [72] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  12. [33] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  13. [34] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  14. [35] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  15. [36] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  16. [37] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  17. [38] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  18. [39] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  19. [40] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  20. [41] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  21. [42] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  22. [43] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  23. [44] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  24. [45] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  25. [46] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  26. [47] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  27. [49] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  28. [50] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  29. [51] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  30. [53] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  31. [54] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  32. [55] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  33. [57] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  34. [58] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  35. [60] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site
  36. [61] . Wikidata. wikidata.org. → on this site

Class ancestry

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

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [74] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [75] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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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. 19d 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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