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The Bigger Picture

Why Gordon Parks’ Most Famous Photo Almost Wasn’t Released

Season 1 Episode 7 | 12m 18s

During World War II, renowned photographer Gordon Parks created an image that was seen as a searing indictment of racial politics in the U.S. with Ella Watson, a cleaner who posed with her mop and broom in front of the American flag. Host Vincent Brown discusses Parks’ motivation for taking the photo, how he worked with Watson and his philosophy that the camera could be used “as a weapon.”

Aired: 10/17/22
Major funding for THE BIGGER PICTURE was provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding was provided by the Anderson Family Charitable Fund, the Tamara L. Harris Foundation, the William Talbott Hillman Foundation, the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding for the digital production of THE BIGGER PICTURE was provided by Chasing the Dream – a public media initiative from The WNET Group, reporting on poverty, opportunity, and justice in America, and supported by The JPB Foundation, The Peter G. Peterson and Joan Ganz Cooney Fund, and Sue and Edgar Wachenheim, III.
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Explore American history through iconic photos that have defined our national identity.
Preview: 0:41
Watch • 14:24
The Bigger Picture
How an FBI Poster Became a Black Power Symbol
How an FBI Wanted poster turned Angela Davis into a symbol of Black Power and liberation.
Episode: S1 E6 | 14:24
Watch • 11:06
The Bigger Picture
This Photo of U.S. Immigration Isn’t What You Think
An iconic photograph representing the immigrant experience is more than meets the eye.
Episode: S1 E5 | 11:06
Watch • 11:26
The Bigger Picture
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Unravel the mystery behind an iconic photograph of Blackfeet tribe leader Mountain Chief.
Episode: S1 E4 | 11:26
Watch • 12:16
The Bigger Picture
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The story behind “Raising the Flag at Ground Zero,” an iconic photo taken on September 11.
Episode: S1 E3 | 12:16
Watch • 11:21
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Find out how “Blue Marble,” NASA’s iconic photo of a fully illuminated Earth, was taken.
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What can a portrait of Abraham Lincoln tell us about the spectacle of politics today?
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