BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Tribute to Dick Gregory

DARE TO BE FREE

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In the face of controversy – threats – physical punishment – and even death, the ancestors of African Americans did not deter nor detour from daring to be free. The African Americans of today are the recipients of a glorious legacy left by brave African American heroes who dared to be free, the likes of Fredrick Douglas; W.E.B. DuBois; Booker T. Washington; Malcolm X; Martin Luther King, Jr.; and countless others. In each era of African American history, the torch of freedom was passed down and handed to various individuals who, in the face of extreme adversity, bravely dared to be free. In the twentieth century, this torch was handled by many individuals.

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Richard Claxton Gregory, later known as Dick Gregory, grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, as a welfare case and reared by his mother in a single-parent environment. He was a hustler who earned money by shining shoes, selling newspapers, picking up trash, and running errands. Everyone in the neighborhood thought he was a good, well-mannered kid; and by grinning all the time, he appeared to be a happy little boy. Whenever he was paid for his services, he would run off and buy himself junk-food and a pocketful of candy. No one ever followed him – so no one ever realized those treats were his dinners. He was born on Columbus Day, 1932, and as a child, he never envisioned that he would one day play such a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement. A front-line participant in the battle for civil rights was never even a thought to be considered. However, he bravely picked up the "torch" handed to him by former freedom fighters and entered this "relay race for freedom – a race not won by the swiftest but by those who endure." He never realized that he would be required to continue to carry this freedom torch into the twenty-first century… but he dared to be free.

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Dick Gregory’s father, Big Pres, was a wife beater, womanizer, and gambler. He left the family when Dick was a young child and Dick would be forever scarred by the absence of his father. Even though Big Pres deserted Dick’s mother and her children, causing them untold suffering, Dick still loved him and yearned for that fatherly bonding. Dick knew his father was a lonely and frustrated man. In Dick’s first autobiography entitled Nigger, Dick gave this explanation for his father’s frustration, “…A man who destroys his own home shall inherit the wind.” Dick never realized that his father’s absence would be an important factor in his development as freedom fighter.

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After his father’s abandonment, Dick grew closer to his mother – not as baby would for nurturing – but as an inspirational confidant. What his mother lacked in material wealth, was substituted with an abundance of love toward God and mankind; moralistic wisdom; and an understanding of human nature. Dick made daily withdrawals from this abstract deposit of riches – and with his quick wit – developed a keen sense of mental reasoning and emotional stability before reaching physical puberty. Dick’s mother was preparing her son for a world full of truth and deception – and preparing him to dare to be free.

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Dick was labeled a trouble-maker in elementary school and often had to sit in the back of the room at a seat with a chalk circle drawn around it – the idiot’s seat. In that same autobiography, Dick claims, “I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go school for that.” Dick was ashamed of being poor and hated the system that publicized it. Dick would often tearfully shout that he was “not poor, just broke.” Because of his publicized economic plight and the noticeable absence of his father, Dick was constantly teased and tormented by other kids. Dick would also constantly speak up for those kids who were smaller, weaker, or just less fortunate than he. Dick got into several fights and lost many battles to kids twice his size, but those conflicts only prepared him for the tasks to come. Finally, he learned to fight back with jokes rather than his fists. Dick Gregory was learning to dare to be free.

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Somehow, Dick managed to enter high school and then college, where he became a record-breaking track star. Being a superstar had its perks and Dick finally had the three “P’s” – power, prestige, and privilege… but more important, Dick had achieved national recognition. In Dick’s mind, everyone knew who he was. While Dick was explaining to his mother as to why he put his body through such rigorous pain during training, he was quoted in his book, Up From Nigger, as saying, “You don’t understand Momma. I’m putting the Gregory name on the map.” Dick’s mother replied, “Honey, I put you in the world, and the world was made before maps.” Right then and there Dick began to cease thinking of just his individual gains and success. He began to ponder on the bigger picture – the collective, unified success of African Americans. Dick was daring to be free.

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When the opportunity to work in the entertainment field availed itself, Dick eagerly accepted the challenge and began stand-up routines in various nightclubs throughout the country. After a long struggle to gain public acceptance and recognition, Dick finally got his break. In December 1961, he appeared at the famed Playboy Club in Chicago, Illinois. Dick later made appearances on the Jack Paar Show and other national reviews – and became known as one of the nation’s top comedians. In daring to be free, Dick Gregory heavily influenced many other Black entertainers and paved the way for comedians such as Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, and most importantly – Richard Pryor.

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Dick was at the pinnacle of his career. Now Dick’s name was truly on the map, but his mother’s philosophical words echoed through his mind. Dick’s mother’s idealistic and realistic awareness of life, liberty, and the pursuit happiness reverberated through every fiber of his being. No longer could he be content with his recently acquired success. Prominent African Americans were organizing and preparing strategies for the upcoming battle for civil rights. Dick was daring to be free and had to be a part of this battle.

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Recruited by the late Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Dick was handed the torch and entered the race for freedom. While he adopted a stance of non-violence and paid strict adherence to that policy, Dick was, never-the-less, active on all fronts – sit-ins, public demonstrations, and marches. He publicly and privately confronted law enforcement officials and was arrested on numerous occasions. On any and every opportunity that occurred, Dick never failed to address issues of social injustice – he always dared to be free.

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Dick fought for equality in both the North and the South. He quickly became a civil rights leader and peace activist who was known throughout the world. Dick fasted for human rights both here and abroad – solemnly claiming, “…there can be no civil rights without human rights.” Dick’s strong sense of social justice crossed racial, cultural, and geographical boundaries. Using his quick wit, satire, and the power of truth-in-words, Dick cut his opponents with razor-sharp slashes – forcing them to see the folly of their ways.

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Dick used his celebrity status to draw national and world attention to such issues as segregation, voting rights, discrimination, and disfranchisement. He was a close friend of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Muhammad Ali; and a confidant of John and Robert Kennedy. Because he dared to be free, Dick was politically engaged to a degree no comedian – white or African American – had ever been before.

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During the 1960s, Dick spent less and less time performing and entertaining. The volatile social climate of this era coupled with Dick’s relentless commitment to the struggle for civil and human rights, impelled Dick to spend more and more of his time on social issues. Dick initiated and participated in demonstration marches, sit-ins, and parades to support a wide range of causes; including opposition to the Vietnam War, world hunger, and drug abuse. Daring to be free, Dick Gregory fasted in protest more than sixty times. Dick even went to Iran, where he fasted and prayed in an effort to urge Ayatollah Khomeini to release the American Embassy hostages. Throughout the world, wherever there was social injustice, Dick Gregory went daring to be free.

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Demonstrating his commitment to confronting the entrenched political powers, Dick entered the Chicago Mayoral race in 1966. He ran for President of the United States as a write-in candidate in 1968. Dick has always been an advocate of education and still honors many speaking engagements at various universities throughout the nation.

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In 1990, Dick was arrested in Washington, D.C. during a protest at the CIA Headquarters. In an effort to fight crime in St. Louis neighborhoods, Dick initiated a program in 1992 called the “Campaign for Human Dignity.” Dick has starred in one movie and made appearances in several others. He also wrote eleven books and recorded several albums. In 2005, after President George W. Bush’s “State of the Union Address,” Dick gave African Americans their own “State of the Union Address.” The 3-CD recording of this enlightening and inspiring speech can be purchased for a nominal fee through the internet at www.dickgregory.com.

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At age seventy-two, Dick is still active. However, age is catching up with him, yet Dick still continues daring to be free. Somehow, Dick Gregory, the elderly spokesman for African Americans, is still “…fighting the good fight, [while aiming to] finish his course, [while] keeping the faith” (II Timothy 4:7). Dick Gregory still continues to DARE TO BE FREE!!!