"I'd rather die trying to be free than be a fool slave." ~ Dick Gregory
"The true test of a rich man is, you strip him of his wealth and see how much he's worth." ~ Lillian Gregory
Dick Gregory was on a mission. After growing up poor and then finally making it in comedy, he became a fearless leader in the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He was called by friends Medgar Evers and Martin Luther King, Jr. To go down to events in advance to aggravate and stir up people. In turn, Gregory called on Mohammad Ali to help. Ali heeded that call.
Dick Gregory was profoundly impacted by the 1963 Birmingham Church bombing in Alabama. Once he saw his celebrity could help raise awareness to the injustices in the world, he was all in. His dedication to human rights resulted in the loss of his fortune. He was arrested at protests over one hundred times, got death threats, and was under surveillance by government watchdogs.
Dick Gregory is an icon. A write-in presidential candidate for the Freedom and Peace Party against Nixon, Gregory ran long distances and fasted extensively to draw attention to civil rights, protest the war in Vietnam, and more. He was a supporter of women's rights and dedicated to changing the food industry.
I appreciate this film about Dick Gregory, a remarkable person who was married to an extraordinary person, his wife Lily, who took care of their ten kids and gave him the emotional support he needed so he could serve the greater good.
News coverage, comedy, TV and film clips, interviews with his wife, children, civil rights activists, comedians, and interviews of Gregory himself tell his story well.
Dick Gregory had early onset Alzheimer's and became cantankerous in later years, yet he remained true to his principles. He continued to speak out about issues that matter and make people laugh until his death in 2017.
