Hearing of Dick Gregory’s death on Aug. 19 was a real shocker. While pondering the fact that he was a vegetarian and so aware of living healthy, it just seemed impossible he would leave us at the age of 84.
Gregory’s life on this planet found him becoming a revolutionary satirist and a relentless civil rights activist. When it was time to stand up against the Vietnam War and racial injustice, he protested and boycotted with leaders of the Civil Rights Movement such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Medgar Evers, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and in the process became their cellmates in Southern jails on numerous occasions. “I went down South afraid and came back not afraid,” said Gregory. “I was taken off the stage and put in the audience so I could see.”
Gregory was our great motivational drum major of truth (he mocked racism and bigotry), he held that beacon of light up high so all could examine the realities of injustice. He was the anointed one to maintain the on-going 1960s struggle with sustained diligence, after King, Malcom X, Evers, Mohammad Ali and the many who joined picket lines, let their voices be heard and lost their lives. When he wasn’t actively protesting on the streets, he took another form of action—hunger strikes.
Today’s racial inequality remains a raging river, which is why, while in the hospital, Gregory noted, “I can’t wait to get out of here. I have so much to say.” Unfortunately, he didn’t make it, but he left behind a wealth of material (books such as “No More Lies: The Myth and the Reality of American History” and “Nigger” and albums such as “In Living Black and White” and “Live at the Village Gate”) for all to listen to and read, to continue the struggle.
We started listening to Gergory’s albums in college. His jokes had that sharp edge that cut right to the heart of racism, but they were funny: “If it wasn’t for the KKK burning crosses on our streets, we wouldn’t never had street lights.”
During the 1970s into the ’80s, Gregory visited New York City on a somewhat regular basis, and I made it a point to see him. His in-depth topics included civil rights injustices and how it related to economic reform and anti-drug issues, sprinkled with a few insightful jokes. His new image became a full beard and mustache as opposed to the early short haircut and thin mustache.
Gregory was able to put healthy foods, racial injustice, America’s drug problem and economics into a program that made sense. His understanding of America’s problems is what made him such a razor sharp humorist and speaker. Even those in denial knew he was speaking the truth as it is today.
His discussions regarding the health food industry were very significant (early 1970s). He advocated for a raw fruit and vegetable diet and discussed the dangers of eating sugar. He made nutrition an issue for Black folks. He felt that everyone should drink at least eight glasses of water a day, noting that 95 percent of our bodies is water.
After reading his book, “Dick Gregory’s Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat,” I immediately began my journey to a meatless diet. Gregory first became a vegetarian in the 1960s and lost a considerable amount of weight by going on extreme fasts, some lasting upward of 50 days.
He developed a diet drink called the Bahamian Diet Nutritional Drink and went on TV shows discussing his diet and the problem of obesity, particularly in the poorer communities.
For me Gregory was ahead of the curve. You always walked away from his discussions having learned something new or ready to look at a given situation from another perspective.
In 1979, Gregory appeared at the Amandla Festival (Harvard Stadium in Massachusetts), where Bob Marley, Patti LaBelle and Eddie Palmieri performed. Gregory gave a speech before Marley’s performance showing his support for the international Anti-Apartheid Movement.
Gregory spoke out during the U.S. Embassy Hostage Crisis in Iran. In 1980, he traveled to Tehran to attempt to negotiate for the hostages. release and engaged in a public hunger strike there, weighing less than 100 pounds on his return to the United States.
He became the first Black comedian to successfully cross over to white audiences, appearing on television and recording comedy albums. He was a national sensation, the first Black to appear as a guest on the “Jack Paar Show” (an early version of “The Tonight Show”) to sit and chat after his performance. That opened the door for comedians such as Bill Cosby, Richard Pryor and Flip Wilson.
He became the highest paid Black actor/comedian at that time. “I’d rather be free than rich,” was Gregory’s response.
In 1967, he ran for mayor of Chicago, more or less as a stunt. The next year he ran for president on the Freedom and Peace Party ticket.
Gregory moved to Chicago to build a comedy career in the late 1950s. There he met Lillian Smith, a secretary at the University of Chicago, and they were married in 1959. They had 11 children, one of whom, Richard Jr., died in infancy.
Gregory is survived by his wife; three sons, Christian, Gregory and Yohance Maqubela; seven daughters, Ayanna, Lynne, Michele, Miss, Paula Cenac, Satori and Zenobia Chisholm; two brothers, Ron and Garland; two sisters, Pauline Hariston and Delores Hill; 16 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.