American Gothic, Washington, D.C., 1942 by Gordon Parks. He took this photo after joining the renowned Food Security Administration. FSA director Roy Stryker told Parks he should leave his camera behind and visit three places in Washington, a restaurant followed by a theatre and

then should go to a famous department store to buy a winter coat. Parks did as suggested and was turned away from all three because he was black. It highlighted the barriers he would face as racism was rampant. On arriving back at FSA headquarters Parks came across

a cleaner called Ella Watson. She told Parks she had become pregnant out of high school, and that her husband had been shot to death two days before their second daughter was born. She was now working to support herself and her two grandchildren. He asked if he could

take her picture and she agreed and for four months gave him access to her home and her community. It was a breakthrough moment for him and gave him an intimate understanding of the reality of life for those communities at that time. This became one of his most famous photos.

Farm not food. We need an edit button.