President John F. Kennedy, 1961

John F. Kennedy giving a speech. In the background is a blurry building.

President John F. Kennedy, 1961

Flip Schulke (American, June 24, 1930–May 15, 2008) is best known for his work documenting the Civil Rights movement. After serving in the Korean War, Schulke enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism and worked as a photographer for the yearbook. After graduating, Schulke accepted a teaching position at the University of Miami in Miami, FL. He worked as a freelance photographer on the side. Schulke was able to capture the action in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, and sold his work to magazines such as LIFE, National Geographic, and Ebony. During his career, Schulke received acclaim for his work in the form of honors and awards, including the Crystal Eagle Award for Impact in Photojournalism and the First Annual New York State Martin Luther King, Jr. Medal of Freedom. His entire collection of work is housed in the Center for American History at the University of Texas in Austin.