Dick Gregory

The loss of justice-fighter, satirist Dick Gregory, at age 84 was received with cries from his friends that “he was one of a kind.” No one showed up, here and abroad where people in severe crises needed empathy and support, more than Dick Gregory. He fasted to dangerous personal levels to attract attention to those deprived and oppressed who were striving for justice. He wrote books and articles, and ran for Mayor of Chicago and the Presidency. He spoke at hundreds of colleges and thousands of rallies. His satiric humor, on and off the stage, was to open people’s minds and begin thinking.

A historic figure, Dick Gregory deserves serious biographers and a civic institution to further his work and inspire posterity.