By: Eleuterio Velazquez, Elijah Ewarawon

Introduction  This power point is going to focus on the life of Dick Gregory who was many things a husband, father, activist, philosopher, comedian, and author. He was a man committed to a mission to make the world a better place. He marching with Dr. King to going on strikes he did anything necessary to enrich his people.

Growing Up  Dick Gregory was born October 12, 1932 in St. Louis.  His childhood was spent shining shoes for a living to support his family.  He was involved in sports and social causes in high school.  He went to southern Illinois university with an athletic scholarship.  In 1953 he was named the outstanding athletic student in the university; that same year he left to joined the U.S. army.

Big Break  In 1958 Dick Gregory began his career as a master of ceremonies at various night clubs.  Dick Gregory entered the comedy scene in  Until then he had just been working in clubs with predominantly black audiences.  Chicago playboy club owner Hugh Hefner booked him for a show when comedian “Professor” Irwin Corey could not make it.  Dick was so good that he won over a audience which included southern white “convention goers.” Playboy offered him a contract to work at their clubs.

Superstar  Dick Gregory was the first black comedian to have a big hit.  By the year 1962 Dick Gregory had become a known headline performer.  He sold out many nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances, and recording popular comedy albums. 

Family Man  He met his wife, Lil, in a comedy club.  They got married and had about ten kids, which became highly respected members in the national community in a variety of fields.  The children consisted of Michele, Lynne, Pamela, Paula, Stephanie (aka Xenobia), Gregory, Christian, Miss, Ayanna and Yohance.

Dick Gregory Activist  Dick Gregory named one of his books NIGGER. In this book he explained his experiences and what kind of racism there was in the south.  Dick Gregory was arrested in 1963

Dick Gregory the Entertainer.  Dick Gregory was the fist black entertainer that had a big hit.

Dick Gregory’s Jokes  "When I get drunk, I think I'm Polish. One night I got so drunk I moved out of my own neighborhood,"  "People keep telling me some of their best friends are colored. Let's face it. There just aren't that many of us to go round,"  "They always talk about Russia dropping the bomb. I got news. If it happens, it's gonna be more like 10,000 bombs. There'll be a 100-megaton bomb for New York, a fifty- megaton one for Chicago, a thirty-megaton for Cleveland— and a quarter-megaton job for Grosse Pointe. And it better be painted white—'cause if it's black, they ain't gonna let it in!"

Dick Gregory Vegetarian  In 1973 Dick Gregory moved to Plymouth, Massachusetts, there he developed a interest in vegetarianism and became a nutritional consultant.  In 1984 he founded Health Enterprises, Inc., a company that distributed weight loss products.  In 1987 Gregory introduced a Bahamian Diet, a powdered diet mix, which was profitable.  In 2001, Dick Gregory announced to the world that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of Cancer. He refused traditional medical treatment and with the assistance of some of the finest minds in alternative medicine, put together a system of a variety of diet, vitamins, exercise, and modern devices not even known to the public, which ultimately resulted in his reversing the trend of the Cancer to the point where today he is 100% Cancer free.

Dick Gregory getting arrested. Dick Gregory promoting peace. Dick Gregory with his daughter.

Annotated Bibliography    