When Norman Parish III was in high school, journalism changed his worldview. Journalism, he knew, was something he needed to do to continue his father’s legacy.
Parish III, while he is an artist and an H-F grad, also pursued his young dreams of being a journalist.
On April 23, Parish III came to H-F High School to showcase his father’s success and how his father contributed to the art world. One of his many achievements was his famous art gallery which was a cornerstone for African-American work.
Norman Parish Jr. was an African-American artist and also the founder and director of the Parish Gallery established in 1991. The gallery focused on the artwork of many African-American artists and spotlighted their work to the world.
Parish Jr. was also an activist who fought for the recognition and representation of African-American artists in the art world while using his platform as a gallery owner to promote diversity and inclusion.
Even though Parish Jr. had many accomplishments in both the art world and social activism his journey didn’t go without problems. He faced many challenges such as discrimination and lack of opportunity.
Due to the ignorance of racism, his art was destroyed by being whitewashed and painted over multiple times. But despite that, Parish II got back up by repainting his mural “Wall of Respect”.
He contributed to the “Wall of Respect” a mural on the South Side of Chicago. The “Wall of Respect” celebrated African-American history and culture.
His legacy lives on through his impactful contributions to the world and also his son, who continues to carry on the legacy of his father by being the producer of the recent documentary “Walls of Respect: Norman Parish Art Gallery.”
Parish Jr. also paved his way to become a journalist. He is currently the deputy managing editor at the Chicago Sun-Times. Before this though, Norman worked as a journalist in seven states and also as a journalism board member for organizations such as the National Association of Black Journalists.
As a sophomore, Parish III never thought about being a journalist. In high school, he ran track and for the most part, wasn’t thinking about his career.
“When I was 16 heading into junior year, I realized things clicked and now my life is about to begin. So now it’s time to get serious,” Parish III said.
Staying motivated to do something is always hard to do. While major changes and events like COVID-19 caused lots of setbacks to the project, Parish III did not let this affect him and continued to put the film together to honor his late father.
While asked about what keeps him motivated, Parish III says, “What kept me motivated was not wanting to stop or finish last. In track, I had the mindset to go ahead and put in the work and you will succeed in the end.”
This motivation paid off as he completed the film project despite his hardships. His mindset of hard work led him to achieve this success
With this, he has now been able to showcase his father’s legacy and share his story with the world. Providing a meaningful contribution to inspire many others.
