'The Language We Share' Traces a Photographic Lineage Between Gordon Parks and Beverly Price

"I saw that the camera could be a weapon against poverty, against racism, against all sorts of social wrongs. I knew at that point I had to have a camera. Parks recognized photography's potential as a tool for social change and advocacy, viewing the medium not merely as documentation but as an active means of confronting systemic injustices and giving visibility to marginalized communities."

"Price, who was a 2023 fellow at the center, similarly considers her practice advocacy for those who might not otherwise be heard, particularly focusing on prevention and the children most affected by the same issues Parks had grappled with. Both photographers share a commitment to using their work to amplify voices of vulnerable populations and address longstanding social inequities."

Beverly Price and Gordon Parks employ photography as a dynamic tool for both archival documentation and social advocacy. Parks, a celebrated photographer from 1912-2006, embedded himself in American life from the 1940s onward, creating distinctive images for major publications while championing civil rights and social justice causes. He viewed the camera as a weapon against poverty, racism, and social wrongs. Price, released from incarceration in 2006, began her photographic practice a decade later, entering into dialogue with Parks's legacy. Both photographers focus on similar geographical and social landscapes, particularly in Washington D.C.'s Southeast Anacostia neighborhood, and share a commitment to advocating for marginalized voices and children affected by systemic issues. The Language We Share exhibition explores the affinities between these two photographers and how social and cultural landscapes have evolved.

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