Gordon Parks

Nothing came easy. I was just born with a need to explore every part of my mind. And with long searching and hard work, I became devoted to my restlessness.

I suffered evils, but without allowing them to rob me of the freedom to expand.

You know, the camera is not meant just to show misery.

If you don't have anything to say, your photographs aren't going to say much.

The camera could be a very powerful instrument against discrimination, against poverty, against racism.

And I think that after nearly 85 years upon this planet that I have a right after working so hard at showing the desolation and the poverty, to show something beautiful for somebody as well.

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.

Use anger to emotionalize whatever thing you intend to do in life - being a painter, a poet or a photographer

At first I wasn't sure that I had the talent, but I did know I had a fear of failure, and that fear compelled me to fight off anything that might abet it.