Dick Gregory was a man known and respected all over the world. He was one of the most beloved Civil and Human Rights supporters who risked his life and gave his all to help in making this a better world for all of us. He often gave his last dollar to the cause to pay for work required to bring justice to Black people, Native Americans, and others in need.
He was known as one of the greatest comedians in the world who through humor taught us to work for equal rights, take care of our health, and never be afraid to do what is right. He reminded us that fear and God do not occupy the same space.
He taught us to refrain from hate, jealousy, and anger because those are the things that hate us--not the enemy. He promoted the fact that we learn more by reading and listening than while always talking.
He was brilliant and despite his loud talk and frequent bravado when trying desperately to tell us what we needed to know. He was a gentle giant and was always willing to help others.
He was a teacher in every respect who taught us that it is more important to be lovable than it is to be loved. He was my best friend and I miss his brilliance and concern for all of us every day. He was the essence of an activist for great causes.
GROWING UP GREGORY
Dick Gregory and I often talked about how we grew up. He probably learned more about how I grew up first. When he met my Mom and the conversation was about all the things she taught me, he immediately asked how I remembered all of those things and told my Mom, “I don’t know how you got her to listen to so much because when I need to talk to my children, I have to get a chair and sit in front of the refrigerator so they can’t get in until they respond to what I want to ask them.” That always sounded funny to me because he has some of the nicest children—all of whom were adults when I met them.
He would tell me some of the funniest things about his growing. He once told me, “When I was growing up, if a rat ran across the floor of our house, we just knew he was taking a short cut to the neighbor’s house because we didn’t have anything we could give him.” He also told me about their Mom wanting them to stay inside the house when she went to work and didn’t leave them any clothes to wear outside—so they got smart, went to her closet and wore her clothes outside to play. Of course, he said everybody passing by pointed and laughed at them, but they didn’t care. They just wanted to play outside.
He also told me about Sumter High School that he loved until his death. He ran track, but never told his Mom. It was easy for her not to go to his school to see him perform because she didn’t know what track was, and when he became really good at track, in the news, they called him “Dick Gregory”, but his Mom only knew him as “Richard.” One day, she said to him, “Every time I hear those people on the radio talking about “Dick Gregory”, I just say, “I wish that was my boy doing all of that.” She never knew it was her son.
Dick Gregory was born Richard Claxton Gregory on 12 Oct 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri.
A legendary comedian, civil rights activist, author, recording artist, actor, philosopher, entrepreneur, health advocate and anti-drug crusader. Drafted into the army in 1954, Gregory was discharged in 1956. His desire to perform comedy professionally inspired him to move to Chicago.
Gregory attributed the launch of his career to Hugh Hefner. The Playboy tycoon watched Gregory perform at Herman Roberts Show Bar and hired him to work at the Chicago Playboy Club. By 1962, Gregory had become a nationally-known headline performer, selling out nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances, and recording popular comedy albums.
With a style that was detached, ironic, and satirical, Gregory gained the attention of audiences with his political and controversial stand up acts. By being both outspoken and provocative, he became a household name and opened many doors for Black entertainers.
As a highly influential American comedian, Gregory used his voice to convey to both white and black audiences his message on civil rights. His social satire helped change the way white Americans perceived black American comedians since he first performed in the public arena.
In October of 1963, Gregory answered the call of Medgar Evers and his life was forever changed. Gregory went to Selma, Alabama and spoke for two hours on a public platform two days before the voter registration drive known as “Freedom Day.” Gregory later became more involved in struggles for civil rights, activism against the Vietnam War, economic reform and anti-drug issues.
In 2000, Gregory was honored at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., by a sold out house with special tributes by Mrs. Martin Luther King Jr., Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, Cicely Tyson, Mark Lane, Marion Barry and many more.
Gregory is listed as No. 82 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of all time. He has appeared in numerous films including: “Steppin: The Movie,” “Letter to the President,” “Malcolm X: A Search for Identity,” “In Remembrance of Martin,” “The Hot Chick,” “Children of the Struggle,” and many more.
He wrote 14 books and recorded 15 comedy albums that contain his stand up acts and his political commentary.
Throughout his life, celebrities, politicians and statesmen alike from the Kennedy family to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Marlon Brando sought Dick Gregory’s friendship, wisdom and counsel.
Dick Gregory Quotes:
People with high blood pressure, diabetes - those are conditions brought about by lifestyle. If you change your lifestyle, those conditions will leave.
Every holiday on the calendar, I check in a hotel and fast - I don't eat, I don't drink, I don't talk.
I waited at the counter of a white restaurant for eleven years. When they finally integrated, they didn't have what I wanted
No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man
Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.
Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive
You're not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi
I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that.
I never believed in Santa Claus because I knew no white dude would come into my neighborhood after dark.
Political promises are much like marriage vows. They are made at the beginning of the relationship between candidate and voter, but are quickly forgotten.
In most places in the country, voting is looked upon as a right and a duty, but in Chicago it’s a sport.
When you have a good mother and no father, God kind of sits in. It’s not enough, but it helps.
And we love to dance, especially that new one called the Civil War Twist. The Northern part of you stands still while the Southern part tries to secede.
Revolution ain’t nothing but an extent of evolution; Evolution is a fact of nature. So when old folks tell me that they don’t understand hip hop and the music is too loud, well I guess it means you’re not supposed to be in there.
Because I’m a civil rights activist, I am also an animal rights activist. Animals and humans suffer and die alike. Violence causes the same pain, the same spilling of blood, the same stench of death, the same arrogant, cruel and vicious taking of life. We shouldn’t be a part of it.
When you’ve got something really good, you don’t have to force it on people. They will steal it!
If they took all the drugs, nicotine, alcohol and caffeine off the market for six days, they’d have to bring out the tanks to control you.
The only good thing about the good old days is they’re gone.
If democracy is such a good thing, let’s have more of it
No kid in the world, no woman in the world should ever raise a hand against a no-good daddy. That's already been taken care of: A Man Who Destroys His Own Home Shall Inherit the Wind.
Makes you wonder. When I left St. Louis, I was making five dollars a night. Now I'm getting $5,000 a week — for saying the same things out loud I used to say under my breath.
I am so sick and tired of seeing a black person shot in the back, shot dead, followed by people saying, “Not all cops are bad.” You know how many lawyers get disbarred every year? But you never hear, “Not all lawyers are bad.” You know how many doctors lose their medical licenses? But you never hear anybody talking about, “Not all doctors are bad.” Police departments are filthy. If I pay a lawyer, I don’t expect him to sue me. If I go to a doctor, he’s not supposed to give me a disease. But we pay taxes so cops will protect us, and they shoot us instead—and the response is, “Not all cops are bad”? And still we think we’re part of America.”
Every door of racial prejudice I can kick down is one less door that my children have to kick down.
Even though he understood the depths of racism and black oppression, Ali lived his life as a free man—a free loving and lovable man.