The Essential Dick Gregory

by Dick Gregory, Christian Gregory (Introduction)

Overview

A soulful, generation-defining collection of thought-provoking, agitating, and liberating works from Dick Gregory, the activist and author of sixteen books, including the classic bestseller Nigger: An Autobiography and the 2017 NAACP Image Award Winner, Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies.

A true renaissance man, Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory was one of the pioneering satirists of his generation, a reformer and brilliant spokesperson for the downtrodden and forgotten who dedicated his life to speaking unadulterated truth—and to improving ordinary lives. A revered human rights and environmental activist, fearsome and uncompromising social critic, lauded bestselling author, and beloved nutrition guru, Gregory aimed not only to educate souls, but to liberate them. His words shaped a generation and remain vital for our own turbulent times, offering wisdom to enlighten and inspire a new activist age.

This carefully curated anthology of selected writings reflects and celebrates Dick Gregory’s wisdom and his vision. Divided into three sections—Body, Mind, and Spirit—it includes previously unavailable transcriptions and excerpts taken from his sixteen books, fifteen albums and audio compilations, and more than 1,200 hours of archival video, including lectures, interviews, and comedic performances. It is a breathtaking tour through the life of one of America’s most prophetic and relevant cultural icons. The Essential Dick Gregory is a pointillistic portrait of a man who gave up a lucrative entertainment career to fight injustice on the front line of battle—leading protests and hunger strikes to end the Vietnam War and apartheid in South Africa; supporting civil rights, feminism, and Native Americans,; and addressing hunger, poverty, and police brutality.

This compelling volume will challenge your beliefs, allow you to see life in unexpected ways, and dare you to make the world a better place.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062879219
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	11/05/2024
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Richard “Dick” Claxton Gregory was an African American comedian, civil rights activist, and cultural icon who first performed in public in the 1950s. He was on Comedy Central’s list of “100 Greatest Stand-Ups” and was the author of fourteen books, most notably the bestselling classic Nigger: An Autobiography. A hilariously authentic wisecracker and passionate fighter for justice, Gregory is considered one of the most prized comedians of our time. He and his beloved wife, Lil, have ten kids.

Table of Contents

Foreword xi

Letter from the Editor xv

Part I The Body (1932-1960)

1803 North Taylor 3

Developing His Gifts 29

Navigating a Wider World 36

Lil 54

No Business Like Show Business 68

Breakthrough 74

Part II The Mind (1961-1970)

Congressional Testimony on Discrimination in the Performing Arts (October 30, 1962) 89

Interview with Ralph Gleason, KPFA Radio (May 25, 1963) 93

Speech at St-John's Baptist Church, Birmingham (May 10, 1963) 99

Medgar 108

Selma Speeches (October 1963) 111

Freedom Summer: Interview with Ramparts Magazine (June 1964) 127

Interview with Larry Wilde, Great Comedians Talk About Comedy 138

Malcolm 147

Speech at Vietnam Day, University of California, Berkeley (May 21-23 1965) 149

Martin 153

COINTELPRO 158

Write Me In 160

Imagine: Bed-In for Peace, Montreal (June 1,1969) 165

Part III The Spirit (1971-2017)

My Answer to Genocide (October 1971) 171

The Circuit: UCLA Speech (January 27,1972) 174

From Stand-Up Comic to Lie-Down Martyr (August 15,1972) 188

Caught in the Act: Final Nightclub Performance (August 5, 1973) 207

The JFK Assassination: Good Night America (March 6,1975) 211

A Winning Formula 214

Amandla Festival, Harvard Stadium, Boston (July 21, 1979) 224

Iran Hostage Crisis; Press Conference at Logan Airport, Boston (September 9, 1980) 227

Pilgrim in Search of Liberation: Message Magazine (March/April 1981) 230

"Something Must Be Wrong": Address at the Cleveland City Club (March 18, 1983) 238

Hard on the Outside, Soft on the Inside, but Willing to Stick His Neck Out, by Christian Gregory 255

Credits 261

Acknowledgments 263

Editorial and Research Team 269

Editorial Reviews

08/22/2022

The work of comedian and activist Dick Gregory (No More Lies) comes together in this standout anthology gathered by his son. The book is divided into three chronological sections, “The Body,” “The Mind,” and “The Spirit,” each representing a different phase of Gregory’s life. The first part features his reflections on his impoverished childhood in segregated St. Louis, when he found in comedy a way to turn the tables on bullies who teased him for being on “relief.” Early brushes with activism saw him participate in a high school walkout to protest overcrowded conditions and the omission of his name from the athletics section of the yearbook because “they don’t list the Negro track meet.” Gregory also recalls learning comedy tricks from legends Nipsey Russell and Sammy Davis Jr. and preparing a response to being called a racial slur by a white audience member: “My contract reads that every time I hear that word, I get $50 more a night.” Elsewhere, Gregory (1932–2017) covers racial discrimination in the performing arts, birth control, his visit to Iran during the 1979 hostage crisis, and vegetarianism. Sharp, funny, and often inspiring, this is a must-read for Gregory’s fans, and a perfect entry point for the uninitiated. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"[A] standout anthology... Sharp, funny, and often inspiring, this is a must-read for Gregory’s fans, and a perfect entry point for the uninitiated." — Publishers Weekly

“A useful bookend to a public figure who wielded humor with vigor and an astuteness to the American condition perhaps matched only by Mark Twain.” — Washington Post

"A satisfying encapsulation of the career of a seminal comedian and social justice warrior." — Kirkus Reviews

“The Essential Dick Gregory covers a lot of ground . . . Dick Gregory was one of a kind, the genuine article. If you never saw him, this collection of his thoughts and writings are a wonderful introduction . . . If you did see him, this book will bring back memories, and you will learn things about him you may not have known.”

— New York Journal of Books

From the Publisher

This marvelous narration brings the comedian, activist, vegetarian, and civil rights leader vividly to life. Joe Morton gets Gregory’s tone, sound, pace, and humor perfectly. Along with having mastered Gregory’s unique style, he captures Gregory’s humility, candor, and sense of fun. Emulating his manic energy, Morton lets Gregory’s ringing soul come through in this collection of interviews, speeches, memories, and occasional other works. Famous at an early age, Gregory was a bestselling author, a nightclub comic who at the height of his success decided to play only college campuses, and a progressive who went on hunger strikes to protest a number of issues, including the Vietnam War. Sadly, his symbolic fasts may have shortened his life. This splendid collection merits a wide audience. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

This marvelous narration brings the comedian, activist, vegetarian, and civil rights leader vividly to life. Joe Morton gets Gregory’s tone, sound, pace, and humor perfectly. Along with having mastered Gregory’s unique style, he captures Gregory’s humility, candor, and sense of fun. Emulating his manic energy, Morton lets Gregory’s ringing soul come through in this collection of interviews, speeches, memories, and occasional other works. Famous at an early age, Gregory was a bestselling author, a nightclub comic who at the height of his success decided to play only college campuses, and a progressive who went on hunger strikes to protest a number of issues, including the Vietnam War. Sadly, his symbolic fasts may have shortened his life. This splendid collection merits a wide audience. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

DECEMBER 2022 - AudioFile

2022-08-17
A collection of pieces from the revered Black American comedian and activist.

Gregory (1932-2017) was a stand-up comedian dealing with topical issues who evolved naturally into an important social justice advocate. His son, Christian, who manages his father’s estate, compiled material from 16 books, 12 albums, “hundreds of interviews and syndicated news columns, and hundreds of hours of archival footage.” Though “skinny and underweight” as a child, he learned that "once you get a man laughing with you, it's hard for him to laugh at you." Awarded "Outstanding Athlete" at Southern Illinois University, Gregory endeavored to bring the same "dignity and honor and respect to show business as I carried to the track.” In 1960, a successful set at the Playboy Club in Chicago led to mass-media attention. The next year, Mike Wallace called him "one of America's top egghead comics" who could find humor in the "tragic problems of your race.” As Christian notes, “the funny man from the South Side was now one of the biggest names in show business.” Drawn into the civil rights movement by violence in Greenwood, Mississippi, in 1963, Gregory delivered fiery orations in Birmingham, Selma, and at college campuses nationwide. He identified himself as a "comedian, social satirist, maybe a clown. The true clown knows all the social problems." He also held hunger strikes to protest the war in Vietnam. This volume collects many impassioned speeches and his final nightclub performance as well as diet advice drawn from his role as a "nutritional guru.” “The salvation of the planet is in diet," he said in 1981. "If you see the way we disrespect our bodies, then you can see why the people who manipulate us can get by with what they can." After his death, the New York Times called him "a sledgehammer for justice,” an appropriate moniker based on the evidence presented here.

A satisfying encapsulation of the career of a seminal comedian and social justice warrior.

Kirkus Reviews