"A Choice of Weapons"--The Life and Legacy of the Remarkable Gordon Parks
Gordon Parks was a pioneering Black artist with achievements in many fields. But at heart he was a humanitarian with a deep passion for social justice. His “choice of weapon,” as he put it, was a camera he bought from a pawnshop for $7.50. With no formal training, he became one of the great photographers of the 20th century, becoming Life magazine’s first African American staff photographer and capturing iconic images of the Great Depression and life under Jim Crow. Parks then went on to become the first Black director of a major Hollywood film as well as a serious poet, writer, musician, and composer.
On April 6, WYA screened the documentary "A Choice of Weapons; Inspired by Gordon Parks”. The film is a co-production of Kundhardt Films and HBO. This screening was made in partnership with the Bedford Playhouse. The film was provided by the Kunhardt Film Foundation.
Immediately following the film WYA teens led a talk-back with the film's Producer, Monica Berra. WYA teens, who spent the previous 6 weeks in our Art & Activism series shared how they were inspired by Gordon Park’s legacy to produce their own original Photo Essays and discussed with the Film Producer the power of photography to move people to action.
2024
MLK Film 2024
WYA and partners gathered Sunday to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by showing films and having a teen-led panel discussion about the struggle for civil rights that began in Alabama. We were honored that NY State Senator and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins attended and spoke to us all about the importance of the rights that were hard-won, and the value for youth of engaging in the political process and voting.
We showed a short student-made documentary by young filmmaker Joshua Jones of NECS, about our inter-group teen civil rights journey to Alabama last spring and held a teen-led panel discussion led by Monday Lerner and Michelle Jones about how this trip impacted everyone who went on it.
Then we settled in for a feature length documentary made by Kunhardt Films called "A Choice of Weapons: Inspired by Gordon Parks" about the pioneering black photographer, filmmaker and author Gordon Parks. It was an inspiring and powerful afternoon. Thanks to Arts Westchester for their support and YoFi for the space!
2023
This project made possible with funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the State of New York Council on the arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and administered by Arts Westchester.
Photos by Barry L. Mason