R.I.P. Dick Gregory

“I never learned hate at home, or shame. I had to go to school for that” - Dick Gregory

(Dick Gregory)

Dick Gregory was born as Richard Gregory on October 12th, 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Gregory earned a track scholarship to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He set school records in track and field. In 1954 he was drafted into the US Army. While in the Army he got into comedy and entered several talent shows. In 1956 he returned to college. He then dropped out of college. He then moved to Chicago, IL and worked alongside other comics such as Nipsey Russell and Bill Cosby. Gregory spoke about social and racial issues in his comedy. In 1958 he opened a nightclub in Illinois. In 1959 Gregory landed a job as master of ceremonies at the Roberts Show Club. He worked in the US post office during the day and at night as a comedian.

(Gregory performing)

Also in 1959 he married Lillian Smith. He was then hired by Hugh Hefner at the Chicago Playboy Club. He then starred on the “Late Night Show Starring Jack Paar”. In the early 1960’s he became vegetarian. In 1963 he spoke in Selma, AL.

(Gregory in 1963)

In 1964 he protested against the Vietnam War and other social issues. In 1967 he ran for mayor of Chicago, IL.

(Gregory in 1967)

In 1968 he ran as a write in candidate for president of the US. In 1975 he appeared on “Goodnight America”.

(Gregory in 1975)

In 1978 he was apart of the National ERA March for Ratification and Extension. In 1979 he appeared at the Amandla Festival where Bob Marley, Patti LaBelle and others performed.

(Gregory (Left) and Bob Marley (Right))

In 1980 he traveled to Tehran, Iran to attempt to negotiate the US hostages' release. In 1984 he founded Health Enterprises, Inc.

(Gregory in 1984)

In 1985 he made a powdered diet mix. In 1998 Gregory spoke at the celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with President Bill Clinton.

(Gregory (Left) with Richard Pryor (Right) in 1998)

In 1999 he was diagnosed with lymphoma. In 2003 Gregory and Cornel West wrote letters on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to Kentucky Fried Chicken's CEO, asking that the company improve their animal handling procedures.

(Gregory in 2003)

In 2006 he spoke at James Brown’s funeral. In 2010 he did a hunger strike against the official U.S. report about the attacks on September 11, 2001 and how they are false.

(Gregory in 2010)

In 2013 Gregory gave a speech at Bryn Mawr College. In 2016 a play was made about him.

(Gregory in 2016)

In 2017 he was hospitalized with a bacterial infection.

(Gregory in 2017)

On August 19th, 2017 Dick Gregory died due to heart failure. Take time to remember this great comedian today.

Albums by Dick Gregory

• “In Living Black and White” (1961)
• “East & West” (1961)
• “Dick Gregory Talks Turkey” (1962)
• “The Two Sides of Dick Gregory” (1963)
• “My Brother's Keeper” (1963)
• “Dick Gregory Running for President” (1964)
• “So You See... We All Have Problems” (1964)
• “Dick Gregory On:” (1969)
• “The Light Side: The Dark Side” (1969)
• “Dick Gregory's Frankenstein” (1970)
• “Live at the Village Gate” (1970)
• “At Kent State” (1971)
• “Caught in the Act” (1974)
• “The Best of Dick Gregory” (1997)
• “21st Century "State of the Union"” (2001)
• “You Don't Know Dick” (2016)

Books by Dick Gregory

• Nigger (1964)
• Write me in! (1968)

Films starring Dick Gregory

• Sweet Love, Bitter (1967) as Richie Stokes
• Panther (1995) as Rev. Slocum
• Children of the Struggle (1999) as Vernon Lee
• The Hot Chick (2002) as bathroom attendant

Videos of Dick Gregory

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkQ4OCNecXs  “Back in the Day/Dick Gregory 1962”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwKKHwrO3pM  “Dick Gregory reflects on the Civil Rights Movement”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej5FwzhUDcM  “Martin Lawrence 1st Amendment Stand Up: Dick Gregory”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M267xj8THk  “Dick Gregory At Comedy Arts Festival”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItJO7VOXe8w  “Dick Gregory - "They Killed Prince" (RBTV Exclusive)”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpypmMXikZM  “Dick Gregory - On Michael Jackson and Tupac”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UofbZVTIYMU  “Dick Gregory presidential candidacy interview, 1968”

(P.S. sorry for the late post)

Happy Birthday Stokely Carmichael

“Our grandfathers had to run, run, run. My generation's out of breath. We ain't running no more” - Stokely Carmichael

(Stokely Carmichael)

Stokely Carmichael was born on June 29th, 1941 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. In 1952 he moved to Harlem, NY, USA. He then moved to the East Bronx. He attended Bronx High School of Science. In 1960 he attended Howard university.

(Carmichael in 1960)

While at Howard he joined Nonviolent Action Group (NAG). In 1961 he participated in the Freedom Rides of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). With 8 other activists Carmichael traveled by train from New Orleans, Louisiana, to Jackson, Mississippi, to integrate the formerly "white" section on the train. they encountered white protestors blocking the way. The activists were charged with disturbing the peace, arrested and taken to jail. He served 49 days with other activists at the Parchman State Prison Farm.

(Carmichael's mugshot)

In 1964 he graduated with a philosophy degree. He also joined SNCC. Throughout Freedom Summer, he worked with grassroots African American activists, including Fannie Lou Hamer. During a protest in Maryland Carmichael was hit directly in a chemical gas attack by the National Guard and had to be hospitalized.

(Carmichael in 1964)

In 1965 he participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches. Also in 1965 working as a SNCC activist in the black majority Lowndes County, Carmichael helped to increase the number of registered black voters from 70 to 2,600.

(Carmichael in 1965)

In 1966 Carmichael became chairman of SNCC. Carmichael joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Floyd McKissick, Cleveland Sellers and others to continue James Meredith's march.

(Carmichael (Right) with Dr. King (Left))

After the march Carmichael made a speech using the slogan “Black Power”.

(Carmichael making his “Black Power” speech)

Under Carmichael's term, SNCC continued to maintain a coalition with several white radical organizations, most notably Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). SNCC conducted its first actions against the military draft and the Vietnam War under Carmichael's leadership. Carmichael popularized the oft-repeated anti draft slogan, "Hell no-We won't go!".

(Carmichael making a speech)

In 1967 Carmichael left SNCC. Also in 1967 he wrote the book Black Power. He also visited Guinea, North Vietnam, China, Cuba and the UK in 1967.

(Carmichael (Left) with Kwame Nkrumah (Center) and Shirley Dubois (Right))

In 1968 Carmichael was targeted by FBI COINTELPRO. Also in 1968 after Dr. King’s assassination Carmichael led a group through the streets of Washington D.C., demanding that businesses close out of respect.

(Carmichael in 1968)

Also in 1968 he married Miriam Makeba. In 1969 they moved to Guinea.

(Carmichael (Right) with his wife Miriam Makeba (Left))

He then changed his name to Kwame Ture. In 1971 he published his collected essays in a second book, Stokely Speaks: Black Power Back to Pan-Africanism.

(Carmichael in 1971)

In 1986 Ture was arrested for his past association with Ahmed Touré, and jailed him for three days on suspicion of attempting to overthrow the government. Ture worked with the All-African People's Revolutionary Party (A-APRP) for the rest of his life. He spoke on its behalf on several continents at innumerable college campuses, in community centers and other venues. Great Britain and Trinidad & Tobago banned Ture from speaking there for fear that he would arouse African descended people in those countries. In 1996 Ture was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Ture was treated for a period in Cuba, while receiving some support from the Nation of Islam.

(Ture in 1996)

Benefit concerts for Ture were held in Denver, New York City, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.,to help defray his medical expenses. On November 15th, 1998 Kwame Ture died of Prostate Cancer in Conakry, Guinea. He was 57 years old.

(Ture in 1998)

Today is his 76th birthday and we would all like to say happy birthday and rest in peace Kwame Ture.

Videos of Kwame Ture

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxrzTsfpPfM  “STOKELY CARMICHAEL POWERFUL SPEECH”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKP5_qyGs8c  “Stokely Carmichael "We Ain't Going" Speech”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToPcoNwEGW4  “Clips of Kwame Ture Stokely Carmichael and H Rap Brown Speaking At The Free Huey Rally 1968”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_QbWDoJBvk  “Stokely Carmichael - Passive Boycotts”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOILkkjtg6Y  “Stokley Carmichael interview-excerpt”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOLrPQkQR8o  “RBG| Kwame Ture (fna Stokely Carmichael) The Importance of Studying History”

Anniversary of Maya Angelou's Death

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” - Maya Angelou

(Maya Angelou)

Maya Angelou was born as Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4th, 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Johnson was nicknamed “Maya” by her older brother. At 3 years old Johnson was sent with her siblings to live with their grandmother in Stamps, AR. At 7 years old she was brought with her siblings to live with their mother in St. Louis, MO. At 8 years old Johnson was sexually abused and raped by her mother’s boyfriend. He was jailed for 1 day and 4 days later was killed by one of Johnson’s uncles. Her siblings and her were then brought back to Stamps, AR with their grandmother.

(Johnson as a child)

At 14 years old she moved with her mother in Oakland, CA. While in high school she worked as the first black female streetcar conductor in San Francisco, CA. At 17 years old she gave birth to her son Clyde Johnson. In 1951 she married Greek electrician, former sailor, and aspiring musician Tosh Angelos. With her new husband and son she moved to New York City, NY and she studied African Dance.

(Angelou as a dancer)

A year later they returned to San Francisco, CA. In 1954 she got a divorce. She danced professionally in clubs around San Francisco. She then changed her name to “Maya Angelou”. From 1954 to 1955 Angelou toured Europe with a production of the opera “Porgy and Bess”. During the 1950’s Angelou became friends with James Baldwin.

(James Baldwin (Left) with Angelou (Right))

In 1957 Angelou released her 1st album “Miss Calypso”. In 1959 Angelou moved to New York City, NY to concentrate on her writing career. In 1960 Angelou met Dr. King and heard him speak. Angelou joined the SCLC and became its Northern Coordinator. Angelou also began her pro-Castro and anti-apartheid activism during this time. In 1961 Angelou performed in Jean Genet's play “The Blacks”. Also in 1961 Angelou and her son moved to Cairo, Egypt. Angelou then moved to Accra, Ghana. Angelou became an administrator at the University of Ghana. She became a freelance writer for the “Ghanaian Times”, wrote and broadcast for Radio Ghana, and worked and performed for Ghana's National Theatre. While in Accra Angelou became good friends with Malcolm X during his visit to Ghana.

(Malcolm X (Left) with Angelou (Right))

In 1965 Angelou returned to the U.S. After the death of Malcolm X, Angelou moved to Hawaii to work on her singing career, then moved to Los Angeles, CA to work on her writing career. She worked as a market researcher in Watts, CA and witnessed the riots in the summer of 1965. In 1967 she returned to New York City, NY. In 1968 Dr. King asked Angelou to organize a march but before they could organize King was killed on her 40th birthday. Angelou then wrote, produced, and narrated Blacks, Blues, Black!, a ten-part series of documentaries about the connection between blues music and black Americans' African heritage.

(Angelou hosting her documentary)

In 1969 Angelou wrote her book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Angelou’s movie Georgia,Georgia was released in 1972 and was the first screenplay written by a black woman. In 1973 Angelou married Welsh carpenter and ex-husband of Germaine Greer, Paul du Feu. Also in 1973 Angelou was nominated for a Tony Award. In 1977 Angelou appeared in a supporting role in the television miniseries Roots.

(Angelou in Roots)

During this period Angelou was given over thirty honorary degrees from colleges and universities from all over the world. In the late 1970’s Angelou met Oprah Winfrey before she became famous.

(Angelou being interviewed by Oprah Winfrey years after they first met)

In 1981 Angelou divorced. Also in 1981 Angelou accepted the lifetime Reynolds Professorship of American Studies at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. In 1993 Angelou recited her poem "On the Pulse of Morning" at the inauguration of President Bill Clinton, becoming the first poet to make an inaugural recitation since Robert Frost at President John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. The recording of the poem won a Grammy Award.

(Angelou speaking at President Clinton’s inauguration)

In 1995 she delivered her second public poem “A Brave and Startling Truth”. In 1996 Angelou directed the film Down in the Delta. Also in 1996 she collaborated with Ashford & Simpson.

(Ashford (Left) & Simpson (Center) with Angelou (Right))

In 2002 Angelou wrote her book A Song Flung Up to Heaven. In 2008 Angelou supported Hillary Clinton for president, later she supported Barack Obama.

(President Barack Obama (Top) with Angelou (Bottom))

In 2010 Angelou donated her personal papers and career memorabilia to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. The last course Angelou taught at Wake Forest was in 2011. In 2013 Angelou published the book Mom & Me & Mom. On May 28th, 2014 Angelou passed away due to poor health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was 86 years old.

(Angelou’s funeral)

Today is the 3rd anniversary of her death. Take time to remember this great poet today.

Books by Maya Angelou

• I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969)
• Gather Together in My Name (1974)
• Singin' and Swingin' and Gettin' Merry Like Christmas (1976)
• The Heart of a Woman (1981)
• All God's Children Need Traveling Shoes (1986)
• A Song Flung Up to Heaven (2002)
• Mom & Me & Mom (2013)

Videos of Maya Angelou

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqOqo50LSZ0  “And Still I Rise”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC_scsKVEHA  “"I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" - Conversations with Oprah: Maya Angelou, 1993 - OWN”
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQQThtav41o  “Maya Angelou's Inaugural Poem (1993)”