In mortuary Red and Herbie Levy study wounds on face of Maurice Gaines, a buddy of theirs who was found dying one night on a Harlem sidewalk 1948

Gordon Parks's "In mortuary Red and Herbie Levy study wounds on face of Maurice Gaines, a buddy of theirs who was found dying one night on a Harlem sidewalk" (1948) is a powerful photojournalistic image that captures the raw emotion of grief and loss in the Black community. The photograph depicts two young men, Red and Herbie Levy, solemnly examining the wounds on the face of their friend Maurice Gaines, who was found dying on a Harlem sidewalk. The stark black and white composition, with its focus on the men's somber expressions and the stark contrast of the white satin-lined casket, highlights the harsh realities of violence and death that plagued African American communities at the time.