Dick Gregory
| Dick Gregory | |
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Dick Gregory in 1964
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| Birth name | Richard Claxton Gregory |
| Born |
October 12, 1932 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Medium | Civil rights activist, stand-up comedy, film, books, critic |
| Nationality | American |
| Years active | 1954–present |
| Genres | Satire, political satire, observational comedy |
| Subject(s) | American civil rights, politics, culture, African-American culture, racism, race relations, vegetarianism, healthy diet |
| Spouse | Lillian Smith (m. 1959) |
| Children | 11 |
| Notable works and roles |
In Living Black and White Nigger: An Autobiography by Dick Gregory Write Me In! |
| Website | www.dickgregory.com |
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 Dick Gregory: Advice to Young African Americans, National Visionary Leadership Project |
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Dick Gregory: The Civil Rights Movement – Part 1, National Visionary Leadership Project |
Richard Claxton "Dick" Gregory (born October 12, 1932) is an American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, conspiracy theorist, comedian, and occasional actor. Gregory is a member of the prestigious fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha.
Gregory was a poor student who excelled at running, and was aided by teachers at Sumner High School, among them Warren St. James. Gregory earned a track scholarship to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. There he set school records as a half-miler and miler. His college career was interrupted for two years in 1954 when he was drafted into the United States Army. The Army was where he got his start in comedy, entering and winning several Army talent shows at the urging of his commanding officer, who had taken notice of Gregory's penchant for joking. In 1956, Gregory briefly returned to SIU after his discharge, but dropped out because he felt that the university "didn't want me to study, they wanted me to run."
In the hopes of performing comedy professionally, Gregory moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he became part of a new generation of black comedians that included Nipsey Russell, Bill Cosby, and Godfrey Cambridge, all of whom broke with the minstrel tradition that presented stereotypical black characters. Gregory drew on current events, especially racial issues, for much of his material: "Segregation is not all bad. Have you ever heard of a collision where the people in the back of the bus got hurt?"
Gregory began his career as a comedian while serving in the military in the mid 1950s. He served in the army for a year and a half at Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Lee in Virginia, and Fort Smith in Arkansas. He was drafted in 1954 while attending Southern Illinois University Carbondale. After being discharged in 1956 he returned to the university but did not receive a degree. With a desire to perform comedy professionally, he moved to Chicago.
In 1958, Gregory opened a nightclub called the Apex Club in Illinois. The club failed, landing Gregory in financial hardship. In 1959, Gregory landed a job as master of ceremonies at the Roberts Show Club.
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Wikipedia