This is my first time writing a post on this sort of thing (Death? That only happens to old people!) but I would like to take a moment of silence for Gordon Parks, who passed away yesterday at the age of 93. This is the part where I would start listing all of his accomplishments as an African American photographer/filmmaker/author and how he brought the minority perspective to the forefront of American culture, by bringing to light the racial bigotry, discrimination and poverty minorities faced on a daily basis… But then I’d just be repeating all the same things that everyone else has already said. And you should know all of this, anyway! Shame on you if you don’t!

I wanted bring this up also because we featured his groundbreaking (should I say world-shaking?) film, Shaft, with which he paved the way for African American cinema, on our recent AMC series Movies That Shook The World. I hope our series helps preserve the indelible memory of his career and life.

So my hat goes off to you, Mr. Parks. Thanks for everything.

-Moye Ishimoto