Who is identified as the Dean of Black photography?

• A. Ansel Adams
• B. Gordon Parks
• C. Gordon Lightfoot
• D. W. E. B. Du Bois

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is recognizing Gordon Parks as the figure often described as the Dean of Black photography. Parks broke racial barriers in a major national publication by becoming one of the first Black photojournalists at Life magazine, starting in 1948. He used his camera to illuminate the realities of Black life and social injustice, producing powerful, intimate portraits as well as far-reaching documentary work. His breadth—from photojournalism to portraiture to later film work—showed how Black photographers could shape mainstream media and influence the field for generations. That combination of pioneering visibility, social impact, and lasting influence is why he’s identified with this title. The other individuals don’t fit this role: Ansel Adams is renowned for landscape photography; Gordon Lightfoot is a musician; W. E. B. Du Bois was a scholar and civil rights thinker who did early photography but isn’t the figure associated with this particular descriptor.