At a time when equity and justice are under attack from the most powerful office in the United States, spaces rooted in real community and solidarity are more important than ever. That’s exactly what this year’s Gordon Parks Foundation Gala offered.
Parks was a legendary photographer who passed away in 2006; he was the first Black photographer to work for Vogue and Life Magazine and the first Black filmmaker to direct a Hollywood studio feature film, according to the foundation’s executive director Peter W. Kunhardt Jr., who has pledged to carry on his pioneering work.
This year, the Gordon Parks Foundation chose to honor four people who are “pillars in their fields…four extraordinary individuals who exemplify [Parks’s] commitment to inspire future generations:" model and activist Bethann Hardison, acclaimed contemporary artist Rashid Johnson, the politician and civil rights activist Ambassador Andrew Young, and Anna Wintour, the global editorial director of Vogue and chief content officer at Condé Nast.
“Since this gala began in 2007, we’ve celebrated many extraordinary evenings,” said Kunhardt in his welcoming remarks to the crowd of philanthropists and change-makers across film, television, fashion, and more. “But tonight may be the most critical gala we’ve ever held. Because now, we are facing some of the strongest forces we’ve ever faced, determined to prevent progress, to erase history, and to silence the voices that challenge injustice.”
The crowd responded to that call for urgency, as the foundation was able to raise a record breaking $3 million to continue its work. “It takes bravery to do a lot of things, and right now we have to be extremely brave,” said Bethann Hardison in her acceptance speech.
Young served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, as well as in the U.S. congress and as mayor of Atlanta. Wearing Ghanaian garb, he delivered a stirring speech: “Before I met Gordon Parks, I heard of the power of Gordon Parks. Today, I dream of a world where peace and justice reign and hunger and war cease. This audience is a testament to the faith I have in humanity. We’ve come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.”
Wintour accepted her award from actor Colman Domingo just weeks after co-chairing a historic Met Gala together, where the spotlight was on the history and contributions of Black designers, particularly in menswear. “We can still do more, and we will,” she said at the event.
As Johnson accepted his award, he acknowledged the fellow creatives at the gala who, like himself, are pursuing freedom through storytelling. “This gala is where I realized I could make waves for generations,” he said. “Each of you in this room has changed culture in so many ways, and I’m honored to be recognized alongside you.”
Before Parks passed in 2006, “he gave us clear instructions,” Kunhardt said to Teen Vogue. “‘Take what I’ve built and push it forward. Take what I’ve started and carry it into the future.’ That future is now, and it’s imperative that young artists continue to walk in his footsteps by breaking barriers, telling urgent stories and forging new paths forward. We’ll continue doing everything we can as a foundation to protect their ability to create, to challenge and to lead. At the heart of the Foundation’s mission are Gordon’s own words. He described his work as ‘our common search for a better life and a better world.’ His camera was his weapon of choice to fight racism and poverty. He knew that art is more potent than social and political violence because it can open our eyes.”
To learn more about the foundation and support their work, visit gordonparksfoundation.org.
