Welcome to my works of art, photojournalism and storytelling.
My love for the arts and photography goes as far back to the age of 5. Thomas Hart Benton was the first artist that capsulated my soul to the joy of viewing the arts. The type of people he painted was printed in my mind's eye by my Kansas birth land and the crossing of the Missouri river to the inner city of Kansas City, Mo where I was raised.
Around the age of 5, embedded within my mind was an older black man walking up and down Agnes St in Kansas City with a camera. I would always stop my playing time when I saw him stroll through the street. He wouldn't say a thing, nor did I see him take any photos; he would just walk up and down throughout the neighborhood. Surely, he took photos, but when?
I attended D.A. Holmes elementary and Central Jr. and Sr. High Schools in Kansas City. The same schools that Walt Disney attended while he was living in Kansas City. We were so proud to know that the Disney family and ours shared those educational institutions. I further followed Disney's educational path by attending the Kansas City Art Institute , and planting my Photography studio within a half block of his studio.
While in High School, a teacher, Mr. Hayes caught me skipping class and for some reason instead of taking me to the office, he took me to his darkroom and showed me how to enlarged and print a photographic image. I knew then and there, exactly what my life's purpose was to be. "An Image Maker."
After high school, I moved to Los Angeles, and was told that you can get money by enrolling into college. So I applied for a BEOG grant and enrolled into Los Angeles City College. I took a photography course and did well. Someone told me I should join the staff of the college newspaper, "The Collegian" and I did! What a wonderful suggestion!
As a Collegian photojournalist, I was very successful and won over 15 California Community College State Convention awards. The Best Sport photo 1977 by the Los Angeles Press Club, assigned to photograph Grammy Award Winning singer, Denise Williams, Pulitzer Prizes winning Cartoonist, Paul Conrad of the Los Angeles Times, actor Robert Vaughn and by photographing one of Motown's up and coming artist Suzzie Stillwell, producer Hal Davis was impressed with my work and selected me as his personal photographer.
My art and photography has been exhibited in many major publications, such as the Kansas City Star, Kansas City Magazine, Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank's publications and Esquire Magazine.
My works has been selected to many group art exhibitions, and solo shows. Of the many international photography art selections my works were selected multi years in one of the most prestigious international photo competition. Black & White Spider Awards.
While in Kansas City in 1982 I received a phone call. I was told by the gentlemen on the phone that the Kansas City Star suggested my name to him. He asked the Star to suggest an up and coming Black photojournalist in Kansas City that would accomplish him as a host to Gordon Parks who was the main speaker at the National English Teachers Convention. I almost jumped out of my shoes with excitement, and told the gentleman that I would be more than happy to join him.
I met Gordon at the Muehlebach Hotel, a location where while Parks was a traveling jazz musician played there in the 1930's. He wrote in his autobiography, "A Choice of Weapons" that wearing his white suit, he had to enter the hotel through the backdoor, but now he was the special guest speaker in that same main ballroom.
We greeted each other with a hug and our shy smile. I was introduced to him as an inspiring Kansas City Black photojournalist and he was delighted to hear my background. He said he wanted us to take him to visit his sister Peggy. He said, "Ken, Peggy is the sister I stayed with in St. Paul after leaving Ft. Scott."
I was delighted and willing to go, one of the reason was because Peggy was a member of the church I attended and raised in; Bethel A.M.E of Kansas City. One of the many things I found Gordon Parks and I had in common.
While walking through the hotel, two older black women stop us and said, "Gordon Parks and his Son, Jr." She thought I was his son , I imagine it was due to the fact that Gordon Parks and I had the same features, curly hair, wide mustaches and overall good looks. We looked at each other smiling while receiving the ladies big hugs.
We arrived at his sister Peggy's home on Benton St on a hot late afternoon. We walked up the stone steps and Gordon knocked on her door. To my disappointment and his, no one answered. What a mis-opportunity to sit and hear the stories as if I re-reading his book, "A Choice of Weapons."
Later that night, we attended the lecture as he spoke about his life, poetry, Life Magazine and his photo story about Flavio. I was invited with my sister LaVerne to the after gathering in his room with other leaders of the convention. I order a gin and tonic, and took one sip. Suddenly, the room stated spinning, and I knew something was wrong. Gordon, led me his bathroom, where everything in my stomach was disposed on his floor. He led me to his bed and put a cold towel on my forehead, I remember telling him that I was so sorry it all was so unbearable. He said to me, " It's okey baby, it's okey, you're going to be fine baby." My sister called my brothers, and as soon as they arrived, they helped me home. That was the last time in my life that I've sipped anything stronger then red wine.