At the Poverty Board: Bessie and Kenneth, Little Richard, Norman Jr., and Ellen after 1967

Gordon Parks made this gelatin silver print, called ‘At the Poverty Board’ sometime in the mid-twentieth century. Parks understood that the process of image-making could be an act of bearing witness, or even resistance. The grainy texture of the black and white photograph feels raw, like a document. You can almost smell the desperation in the room. Look at the faces, the eyes… the way the light catches the mother’s face and the children's clothing. Each member of the family is captured in a unique moment of vulnerability. The stark contrast of light and shadow heighten the emotional tension. Parks, like many photographers of his generation, learned so much from painters like Edward Hopper. The work of both artists offers a glimpse into the everyday lives of ordinary people and finds beauty and meaning in the mundane. Ultimately this piece, like all great art, reminds us of our shared humanity. It invites empathy and understanding, opening up new ways of seeing and thinking about the world.