Photographer Gordon Parks died in 2006. These never-before-seen pictures were recently found at the bottom of a box, wrapped in paper, and marked ‘segregation series’. What’s particularly striking about them is they are in full color, something rare for images of black Americans in the 1950s.

Even though the photographs document a shameful time in the US, all have a warmth to them. Parks believed that empathy was key to undoing racial prejudices. His work often dealt with race relations, poverty, urban life, and civil rights. For more on Parks and the story behind these photos, go to the NY Times.

See more pictures after the jump.