Dick Gregory at UD Nov. 29
Gregory, a 69-year-old St. Louis native, is perhaps best known for his commitment to a variety of social causes, ranging from opposition to the Vietnam War to issues such as drug use and world hunger. Before his comedic talents landed him on the cover of Time magazine and an appearance on the Jack Paar Show, Gregory took advantage of his gifts as an athlete to escape the deep poverty of his youth by earning a scholarship to Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, becoming the first member of his family to attend college. After leaving college to join the U.S. Army, Gregory discovered a talent for comedy, hosting and performing in military bases before beginning his professional career in the Chicago nightclub circuit of the late 1950s, where he first gained national prominence as a comedian at the Playboy Club. Inspired by the work of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Gregory became more interested and involved in various social actions, and he fasted for many causes, including an effort to get the Ayatollah Khomeini to release American Embassy staff taken hostage in Iran in 1979. In 1973, Gregory moved with his family to Plymouth, Mass., where he developed an interest in vegetarianism and became a nutritional consultant, founding the weight-loss distribution company Health Enterprises and introducing the Slim-Safe Bahamian Diet. As an author, Gregory became interested in political conspiracies, writing books such as “Code Name Zorro: The Murder of Martin Luther King, Jr.” (1979), which he coauthored with conspiracy theorist Mark Lane. Other books include “Nigger: An Autobiography;” “Up From Nigger” and the recently updated memoir “Callus on My Soul.” He continues to work for human rights causes around the world and divides his time between Washington, D.C., and Plymouth, Mass. The event is sponsored by the Cultural Programming Advisory Board (CPAB). For more information, call the UD Center for Black Culture at (302) 831-2991.  |
Noted comedian, author and activist Dick Gregory, whose career has taken him from stand-up comedy to championing human rights issues, will present “The World According to Dick Gregory,” at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 29 at the University of Delaware. His talk will be held in the Multipurpose Room of the Trabant University Center, Main Street and South College Avenue, Newark. The event is free to anyone with a student ID and others may purchase tickets at the door. Cost is $8 for the general public and $5 for UD faculty and staff.