About Mr. Parks

Gordon Parks Elementary (GPES) was named in honor of the groundbreaking African-American photographer, writer, filmmaker, composer, and musician. Gordon Parks was the first African American to work at Life magazine and the first to write, direct, and score a Hollywood film.

Mr. Parks’ musical and visual talents chronicled the African American experience and retold his history. This self-taught man with Midwestern roots reflected the spirit and vision of GPES.

During the fall of 1998, Sue Jarvis and Dorothy Curry, the school founders, formulated final plans before opening a charter elementary school. But only one thing was missing: a name. That day, listed among those notables in the Kansas City Star’s "Birthday" column was Mr. Gordon Parks, photographer, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He was celebrating his 86th birthday.

"That was it! Our school had to be named for this talented man who overcame poverty and adversity," Dorothy Curry recalled. "He was a living hero." Mr. Gordon Parks proudly endorsed the school’s mission of educating urban core children to reach their full potential. From 1999 to 2006, Mr. Parks the man and Gordon Parks Elementary enjoyed a close relationship. They met through poems, letters, visits from Dorothy and Bill Curry, and teachers attending workshops in New York.

Mr. Parks’ hometown of Ft. Scott, KS, has established the Gordon Parks Center dedicated to telling his powerful story. The Gordon Parks Foundation was established to preserve and promote Mr. Parks’ creative work.