(November 30, 1912- ) Born in Fort Scott, Kansas. Attended high school in St. Paul, Minnesota. Earned living as busboy, bordello pianist, and waiter; worked as freelance fashion and society photographer in Minneapolis and Chicago (1937-42). Apprenticed as photographer at Farm Security Administration in Washington, D.C. (1942-43); photographed African-American 332nd Fighter Group for Office of War Information (1944). Worked as corporate photographer for Standard Oil Company in New Jersey (1945-48); also freelanced for Vogue and Glamour. Photo-essay on Harlem gang life led to position at Life magazine in 1948; remained on staff of magazine until 1972, working as reporter and photojournalist. Founded and served as editorial director of Essence magazine (1970-73). Produced documentary films including Diary of a Harlem Family (1968); wrote, produced, and directed The Learning Tree (1969), and directed Shaft (1971), Shaft's Big Score (1972), The Super Cops (1974), Leadbelly (1976), Solomon Northrup's Odysssey (1984), and Moments Without Proper Names (1986). Author of technical books Flash Photography (1947) and Camera Portraits: The Techniques and Principles of Documentary Portraiture (1948); novels The Learning Tree (1963) and Shannon (1981); memoirs A Choice of Weapons (1968), To Smile in Autumn (1979), and Voices in the Mirror (1990); photo-illustrated books of poetry A Poet and His Camera (1968), Whispers of Intimate Things (1971), In Love (1971), Moments Without Proper Names (1975), and Glimpses Toward Infinity (1996); and an essay collection, Born Black (1971). Lives in New York City.