Obituaries

[TeacherinExile]

(08-20-2017, 11:11 AM)pbrower2a Wrote: Dick Gregory, comedian. Do you remember what I said about comedy being the greatest cultural contribution of the Silent Generation?

Richard Claxton Gregory (October 12, 1932 – August 19, 2017)[1], known as Dick Gregory, was an American civil rights activist, social critic, writer, entrepreneur, comedian, and actor. During the turbulent 1960s, Gregory became a pioneer in stand-up comedy for his "no-holds-barred" sets, in which he mocked bigotry and racism. He primarily performed at segregated clubs to black audiences until 1961, when he became the first black comedian to successfully cross over to white audiences, appearing on television and putting out comedy record albums.[2]

Gregory was at the forefront of political activism in the 1960s, protesting the Vietnam War and racial injustice. He was arrested multiple times and went on a hunger strike. He later became a motivational speaker and author, primarily promoting spirituality.[2]

In August 2017, Gregory died of heart failure at a Washington, D.C. hospital, age 84.[2]

Read much more on the Wikipedia page.

Rest in peace, Dick Gregory.  You were a giant among men, a comedian whose biting wit has been matched by few others onstage.  And unlike so many celebrities today, whose stances against all manner of injustice amount to little more than "virtue signaling," you put your beautiful black skin in the game when it mattered most, as noted in the post above.  We may not see your like again.  You will be sorely missed.

This from his obituary in Rolling Stone magazine:

One oft-told Gregory bit was about the comedian's journey to a restaurant in the segregated South. "We tried to integrate a restaurant, and they said, `We don't serve colored folk here,' and I said, `Well, I don't eat colored folk nowhere. Bring me some pork chops.' And then Ku Klux Klan come in, and the woman say, 'We don't have no pork chops,' so I say, 'Well, bring me a whole fried chicken.' And then the Klan walked up to me when they put that whole fried chicken in front of me, and they say, 'Whatever you do to that chicken, boy, we're going to do to you.' So I opened up its legs and kissed it in the rump and tell you all, `Be my guest.' "

And in light of the "fake news" meme that is tossed around so indiscriminately these days, here is one of my favorite Dick Gregory quotations:

"The most difficult thing to get people to do is to accept the obvious."