Five of the Most Influential African-American Photographers
Gordon Parks, Tenement Dwellers, Chicago, 1950
Capturing the Civil Rights Movement and Black is Beautiful
Photography has long been a powerful tool for storytelling, but for many African American photographers, it has also served as a means of resistance, representation, and reclamation. Through their lenses, these artists have challenged stereotypes, documented injustice, and celebrated the beauty and complexity of Black life. The artists I selected to cover: Gordon Parks, Carrie Mae Weems, Kwame Brathwaite, Anthony Barboza, and Deana Lawson are five of the most influential black photographers whose work has not only shaped the history of photography but also transformed the visual narrative of Black identity in America and beyond.
Each of these artists brings a unique vision and voice to their work. Parks exposed the harsh realities of racial injustice while capturing the quiet dignity of everyday Black life. Weems explored family, womanhood, and power through intimate, staged narratives. Brathwaite celebrated natural beauty and African heritage, helping define the Black Is Beautiful movement. Barboza framed Black cultural icons with reverence and style, while Lawson reimagines Black identity through regal, spiritually infused portraits.
Together, their work creates a rich, multifaceted portrait of the Black experience that continues to inspire, provoke, and demand attention.
Kwame Brathwaite
As a photographer who captured the essence of Black pride and identity from the 1960s and beyond, Kwame Brathwaite (Jan. 1, 1938 - Apr. 1, 2023, New York, NY) used his lens to document his community's strength, beauty, and resilience.
After co-founding the African Jazz-Art Society & Studios (AJASS) in Harlem in 1956 and Grandassas Models in 1962, Brathwaite's art breathed life into the Black is Beautiful movement, a crusade he helped shape through his photographs by celebrating natural hairstyles, traditional African fashion, and the spirit of self-determination.
As an activist inspired by Marcus Garvey and Carlos Cooks, Brathwaite's photography was not just about aesthetics—it was an advocate's call to embrace Blackness in its fullest form.
Kwame Brathwaite, "Untitled (Grandassas in Car)," C. 1968, Printed 2021. Sikolo Brathwaite, Juanita and Tiffany McClean during a Garvey Day Celebration' by Kwame Brathwaite. (Used as the cover art for the 12on12’s Edition 5 Swizz Beatz x Kwame Brathwaite Vinyl Record)
In a seminal photograph from 1968, "Untitled (Grandassas in Car)," Brathwaite captures Grandassas models Sikolo Brathwaite and Juanita and Tiffany McClean during a Garvey Day Celebration. Like many of Brathwaite's portraits, this image challenges mainstream narratives by centering Black women in a space of empowerment. The Garvey Day setting further underscores the connection between Black beauty and political consciousness, reinforcing Garvey's ideals of self-reliance and cultural pride.
Similarly, "Untitled (Photo shoot at a school for one of the many modeling groups who had begun to embrace natural hairstyles in the 1960s)" highlights the transformative power of representation. By photographing young women with natural hair, Brathwaite creates a powerful dialogue about self-acceptance and identity. His compositional choice to place his models' heads over the fenceline is also very telling. Like much of his work, this image was instrumental in shifting cultural perceptions and inspiring generations to take pride in their heritage.
Kwame Brathwaite, "Untitled (Photo shoot at a school for one of the many modeling groups who had begun to embrace natural hairstyles in the 1960s)"
His images provided a platform for Black expression and amplified the voices of those who had been marginalized in mainstream media. By capturing intimate yet powerful moments of everyday life, beauty, and celebration, Brathwaite reshaped the visual landscape of Black identity.
Gordan Parks
Gordon Parks, Washington, D.C. Government Charwoman (American Gothic), July 1942
Gordon Parks (Nov. 30, 1912, Fort Scott, KS — Mar. 7, 2006, New York, NY) was a groundbreaking American photographer, filmmaker, and writer whose work chronicled the struggles and resilience of Black Americans throughout the 20th century. As the first Black staff photographer for Life magazine, Parks used his camera as a tool for social justice, capturing images that exposed poverty, racism, and inequality while also highlighting the dignity and strength of his subjects. His photographs were not merely documentary—they were deeply human, blending artistry with activism to challenge the nation's conscience. Among his most iconic works is American Gothic, Washington, D.C. (1942), a portrait that remains one of the most powerful indictments of racial injustice in American visual history.
American Gothic depicts Ella Watson, a Black government worker, standing stoically with a mop and broom before an American flag. Inspired by Grant Wood's famous painting, Parks' photograph reframes the symbol of American pride within the reality of systemic racism and labor exploitation. Watson's face is resolute yet weary, reflecting both the burden of inequality and the quiet strength of those who endure it. This image challenged prevailing narratives about race and labor and laid the foundation for Parks' commitment to using photography to amplify marginalized voices.
Parks continued to photograph Ella Watson beyond this iconic image, creating a series of intimate portraits that revealed her life beyond her role as a charwoman. He captured her with her family and caring for her grandchildren—images that conveyed warmth, love, and resilience. These photos offered a fuller narrative of Watson's humanity, resisting the tendency to reduce Black subjects to symbols of struggle. Parks' work with Watson demonstrated his belief that true documentary photography required witnessing suffering and honoring the everyday lives and joys of those often overlooked.
Gordon Parks, Washington (southwest section), D.C. Negro children in the front door of their home. November 1942
Another significant image, D.C. Negro Children in the Front Door of Their Home (1942), further exemplifies Parks' ability to balance social critique with human tenderness. The photograph shows young Black children standing in the doorway of their modest home, their expressions a mixture of innocence and uncertainty. The worn condition of the house speaks to the economic disparities faced by Black families, yet the children's presence affirms their vitality and hope. Through these images, Parks elevated everyday Black experiences into symbols of both injustice and enduring spirit, solidifying his legacy as a visual storyteller who refused to let suffering define his subjects—he made sure their strength and humanity were always seen.
Carrie Mae Weems
Carrie Mae Weems, Early Documentary, 1980
Known for her ability to merge storytelling with striking visual compositions, Carrie Mae Weems explores themes of race, gender, power, and family, often centering Black identity and lived experiences. One of the most influential contemporary photographers, Weems uses her art to challenge historical narratives and redefine representations of Black life.
Among her most celebrated works is the Kitchen Table Series (1990), a deeply personal yet universally resonant exploration of relationships, self-reflection, and the everyday lives of Black women.
Carrie Mae Weems, Kitchen Table Series, 1990
The Kitchen Table Series is a sequence of black-and-white photographs that unfolds like a visual novel, depicting a Black woman—played by Weems herself—engaging in various moments of solitude, intimacy, and confrontation at her kitchen table. The table serves as the central stage for conversations with a lover, bonding moments with a child, and times of personal contemplation. Through these images, Weems transforms a domestic space into a site of power, negotiation, and emotional complexity, highlighting how Black women navigate love, independence, and societal expectations.
Though deeply rooted in the Black female experience, one of the most compelling aspects of the Kitchen Table Series is its universality— as its themes of love, resilience, and self-actualization resonate broadly. The careful use of lighting and composition creates a sense of intimacy, while symbolic objects within the frame add layers of meaning.
Through the Kitchen Table Series, Weems reclaims the Black domestic space from historical erasure and stereotypes, portraying it as a site of strength, intellectual engagement, and self-definition. Her ability to blend documentary photography with staged narrative storytelling has solidified her as a groundbreaking artist.
The series continues to inspire discussions on Black womanhood, representation, and the power of everyday moments, proving that the kitchen table—often overlooked in grand historical narratives—can be a place where identity, power, and transformation unfold.
Carrie Mae Weems, Early Documentary, 1980
Anthony Barboza
As a self-taught photographer, Anthony Barboza's work has played a vital role in shaping the visual history of Black America. Emerging as a key figure in the Kamoinge Workshop—a collective of Black photographers dedicated to capturing the richness of Black life—Barboza (May 10, 1944, New Bedford, MA) has spent decades creating images that challenge stereotypes and celebrate the complexity of his subjects. Barboza has made countless commercial images, including celebrity portraits, advertisements, and album covers, but it's his personal projects that illuminate his deep investment in the art and concerns of Black communities
Using his technique of "eye dreaming," Barboza's photography blends documentary realism with artistic experimentation, producing deeply introspective and visually compelling portraits. His Black Borders series, in particular, is a testament to his ability to honor Black cultural icons while pushing the boundaries of photographic composition.
Anthony Barboza, James Baldwin - Author, 1975 (Black Border Series)
In his portrait of James Baldwin from the Black Borders series, Barboza captures the legendary writer and activist with an intensity that mirrors Baldwin's literary and social impact. The photograph is a masterful study of light and shadow, emphasizing Baldwin's deeply expressive face, furrowed brow, and piercing gaze. The portrait's framing suggests vulnerability and defiance—qualities that defined Baldwin's work as he navigated themes of race, identity, and justice. By stripping away distractions and focusing solely on Baldwin's presence, Barboza creates an image that speaks to the weight of the writer's voice and legacy.
The Black Borders series as a whole is a meditation on identity and representation, featuring portraits of influential Black figures presented within carefully constructed frames. The borders themselves serve as both literal and symbolic devices, drawing attention to the way Black artists, thinkers, and leaders have historically been constrained by societal limitations while simultaneously reshaping those boundaries.
Anthony Barboza, Betty Carter - Musician, 1976, (Black Border Series)
Through Black Borders and his broader body of work, Barboza challenges traditional portraiture by infusing it with both historical weight and contemporary relevance. His photographs do more than document faces—they tell stories, evoke emotions, and demand recognition of Black excellence and creativity.
Deana Lawson
Deana Lawson (b. 1979, Rochester, NY) is a contemporary photographer known for her powerful yet intimate portraits, which explore themes of Black identity, family, spirituality, and the human form.
Her work blends documentary photography with carefully staged compositions, creating deeply personal and universally resonant images. Through rich textures, symbolic details, and a mastery of light, Lawson constructs scenes that challenge traditional representations of Black life, elevating everyday moments into something sacred.
Her photography reimagines history, memory, and belonging, offering a profound meditation on the beauty and resilience of Black communities around the world.
Deana Lawson, Nation, 2018
In "Nation" (2018), Lawson presents a striking, layered image that speaks to kinship, power, and ancestral connection. Lawson often incorporates elements that hint at deeper narratives—whether through the use of gold, the framing of figures, or the juxtaposition of modern and historical influences. Her visual tapestry challenges colonial-era representations of Blackness, offering a vision of strength, self-possession, and unity instead.
[Listen to Lawson as she explains her process for creating Nation, 2018.]
Lawson's use of staged photography allows her to construct timeless moments beyond a single moment or place.
In 2025, Deana Lawson will present an exhibition titled Corps et âmes at the Pinault Collection in Paris. It will run from Mar. 5 — Aug. 25, 2025.
The work of Gordon Parks, Carrie Mae Weems, Kwame Brathwaite, Anthony Barboza, and Deana Lawson represents more than artistic excellence—it is a powerful testament to Black life's resilience, beauty, and complexity. Each photographer, in their way, has expanded the boundaries of visual storytelling, using their cameras to challenge injustice, reclaim narratives, and affirm the dignity of their communities.
