Gordon Parks Foundation to honor Angela Y. Davis, Amy Sherald, Crystal McCrary, and more

The Gordon Parks Foundation announces annual gala and auction honorees, including recognition for Drs. Kenneth and Mamie Clark.

The Gordon Parks Foundation is gearing up for its annual gala and auction, during which a slate of notable leaders in art and culture will be honored. 

According to a release to theGrio, on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, the foundation will honor scholar and activist Angela Y. Davis, artist Amy Sherald, author and producer Crystal McCrary, businessman and community leader Raymond McGuire, and businesswoman and philanthropist Clara Wu Tsai.

The honorees will be introduced by an equally distinguished roster of presenters, including Pulitzer-prize-winning author and journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, screenwriter and producer Mara Brock Akil, artist Rashid Johnson, and Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem. 

Peter Kunhardt Jr., Gordon Parks Foundation executive director, said in the release that these “visionary leaders” are being recognized because they embody the legacy of Gordon Parks, whose photography immortalized Black culture for generations to come. 

The evening will also celebrate the 2023 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellows, artists Jammie Holmes and José Parlá, and art historian and Howard University professor Melanee Harvey, who are chosen on an invitation-only basis. 

According to the release, Kate Clark Harris, daughter of Dr. Kenneth Clark and Dr. Mamie Clark, the groundbreaking husband and wife psychologists who developed the “doll test,” will also be the Gordon Parks Foundation’s special guest during the gala and auction. 

The infamous 1947 “doll test,” sought to prove the psychological impacts of segregation and discrimination through a child’s preference between Black and white dolls. The watershed moment in American history was captured through Parks’ photography. 

“This annual event is a celebration of Park’s legacy, of the artists and leaders continuing on the path he paved, and a reminder of just how crucial this work continues to be,” Kunhardt Jr. said. 

The gala and auction are open to the public, with tickets available for purchase online, starting at $1,500. All proceeds from the event will support the foundation’s year-round educational programming, fellowship prizes, and scholarships. 

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