Temples of Hope, Rituals of Survival: Gordon Parks and Black Religious Life

Temples of Hope, Rituals of Survival: Gordon Parks and Black Religious Life 

Is on view September 9, 2025 to December 1, 2025, and is curated by Dr. Melanee C. Harvey, Associate Professor of Art History in the Department of Art in the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University.“Gordon Parks’ photography has long been a fixture in the documentation of Black life in America.

With contemporary developments in Black religious studies and the history of photography, we saw it necessary to engage with Parks’ insightful perspective on how Black religious and spiritual traditions impact the environment and the communities from which they emerge,” said Curator Dr. Melanee C. Harvey.
 

As the largest collection of archival material on the global Black experience, we are proud to utilize our collection to showcase an important facet of Gordon Parks’ practice, and highlight the significance of spirituality and religion to the Black experience through the lens, life, and works of such an extraordinary photographer.

We are excited to showcase images from the newly acquired Gordon Parks Legacy

Collection for the first time at Howard University and provide the opportunity for students to respond to and engage with Gordon Parks’ legacy.