Artists have a variety of methods to make their mark. Every Friday we will share a photograph of an #ArtistInAction. . Gordon Parks (1912 - 2006) was a self-taught African-American photographer whose poetic images focused on the black experience. Inspired by the expressive photographs of migrant workers published in magazines that he saw as a young boy, Parks bought a camera from a pawnshop; “I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs,” he said. “I knew at that point I had to have a camera.” Without any formal training in photography, Parks’ exceptional talent landed him a position with the Farm Security Administration (FSA), which was an organization documenting the social conditions of the country. After FSA closed, Parks began a freelance project that focused on a Harlem gang leader. The 1948 photo essay led him to become the first black staff photographer on Life magazine. Parks published photos with Life for two deca...