The 5th annual Gordon Parks Celebration begins today at Fort Scott Community College, at the Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity. The celebration is in honor of Gordon Parks, the Fort Scott native who was a notable photographer, filmmaker and writer. There will be activities and special events throughout the four-day celebration.

This year's celebration will include similar events to those incorporated into the festivities in past years, but also some new and exciting happenings. Every day, the 20th annual Gordon Parks Photography Contest Finalists exhibit will be open, as will the exhibit of Parks' photos at Mercy Health Center.

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There will be screening of movies by and about Parks such, as "Half-Past Autumn," an HBO Documentary about the life of Parks. Parks' own film, "The Learning Tree," will be shown Wednesday during the celebration.

Later Wednesday, writer, director and editor Nicholas Eliopoulos will show his short film titled, "Behind the Scenes of the filming of The Learning Tree."

Wednesday evening is the Celebration of Faith event, which will feature the Missouri State University Gospel Choir and will include other youth choirs from the Fort Scott community.

Thursday's main event "Hot Ribs and Cool Jazz with Ida McBeth" will feature the stylings of famous Kansas City singer Ida McBeth.

Tickets are $20 and include the a meal of Famous Dave's Barbecue and fixin's.

Ida's musical style is so unique that it is hard to classify. Over the years, her repertoire has included pop-style ballads, jazz and blues, show tunes, funk, R&B, gospel and well-known standards.

Critics have described her as "a jazz singer," "a blues singer," "a pop singer" and "a cabaret singer." Still others have referred to her as "a story teller," "a professor emeritus of body language," "a consummate actress" and "the complete entertainer." A song stylist is the title she prefers.

Every year at the Gordon Parks Celebration of Culture and Diversity a "Choice of Weapons" award is given. This year's award will be given to Richard Roundtree star of Gordon Parks' film Shaft. Richard initially received international fame when Gordon Parks chose him to star as John Shaft, private detective and super cop hero in the feature film "Shaft." That role catapulted Roundtree into the world arena as one of the hottest new actors on the scene. He continued the franchise with "Shaft's Big Score," "Shaft in Africa," and the television series, "Shaft."

But Roundtree was just beginning to stretch his talents as a movie star. He quickly moved on to star with some of Hollywood's most well-known actors, including Clint Eastwood, Robert Shaw, Peter O'Toole, Richard Harris, David Niven, Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier, naming just a few.

Richard recently completed the Warner Bros. film "Speed Racer" with John Goodman and Susan Sarandon.

On the celebration's final day there will be a construction zone lunch for attendees to have a first look at the new Gordon Parks Center for Culture and Diversity which will be housed in the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center which is slated for completion in April 2009.

The day and the entire celebration will end with a visit to the cemetery to pay tribute and remembrance at the Gordon Parks gravesite.

For more information about the Gordon Parks Celebration or for information on how to get tickets to the week's events call (800) 874-3722, ext. 515 or see the Web site at www.gordonparkscenter.org.