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H2O Man

(73,308 posts)
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 12:58 PM Aug 2017

Fried Chicken, the KKK, and Dick Gregory

“Last time I was down South I walked into this restaurant, and this white waitress came up to me and said, 'We don't serve colored people here.'

“I said, 'That's all right, I don't eat colored people. Bring me a whole fried chicken.'

“About that time these three cousins come in, you know the ones I mean, Ku, Klux, and Klan, and they say, “Boy we're givin' you fair warnin' ...Anything you do to that chicken, we're gonna do to you.' About that time, the waitress brought me my chicken. 'Remember, boy, anything you do to that chicken, we're gonna do to you.' So I put down my knife and fork, and I picked up that chicken, and I kissed it.”
Dick Gregory


The passing of Dick Gregory brought back memories from long ago. One in particular is somewhat unpleasant. I'd like to blame Abbie Hoffman, but our school library never carried his books. Anyhow, as there were two copies of Dick's biography – the one the above quote is found on page 144 – I stole one of the copies. Although I've donated other books to the school in the decades since, I still felt bad when I walked over to a bookshelf in my library, and grabbed Dick's book. But I suppose if I hadn't stolen it half a century ago, I couldn't have quoted from what remains one of my favorite pages in it.

Now that we've gotten past that, I'd like to recommend that everyone read pages 200-204, which contain one of my favorite presentations anyone gave in the 1960s, about the need for people to engage in peaceful public protests.

Dick was a supporter of Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, long before it was a popular “cause.” And DU historians know about a specific conversation he had with Malcolm X – one Malcolm later said would have resulted in him punching anyone else in the mouth, had they said the things Dick did.

We've lost one of the Elders. But the wisdom he shared with us lives on.

Peace,
H2O Man

24 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Fried Chicken, the KKK, and Dick Gregory (Original Post) H2O Man Aug 2017 OP
Breathe Free Elder Gregory Me. Aug 2017 #1
I loved the H2O Man Aug 2017 #13
Sitting There With Children! Me. Aug 2017 #17
Yeah! H2O Man Aug 2017 #19
What a beautiful post malaise Aug 2017 #2
Thank you! H2O Man Aug 2017 #14
I am listening to the annual Garvey celebrations on IRIE fm malaise Aug 2017 #18
Nice! H2O Man Aug 2017 #20
There's a famous photo from malaise Aug 2017 #24
Over many decades, there was never a doubt where Gregory stood oasis Aug 2017 #3
Right! H2O Man Aug 2017 #15
It's sad so many young people don't really know who he is nini Aug 2017 #4
Not enough of them do, H2O Man Aug 2017 #16
You made me join Easterncedar Aug 2017 #5
welcome to DU gopiscrap Aug 2017 #10
Thanks! H2O Man Aug 2017 #21
Wisdom apkhgp Aug 2017 #6
Dick Gregory H2O Man Aug 2017 #23
K&R... spanone Aug 2017 #7
Saw him in 1969 in New Hampshire while a high school senior. cachukis Aug 2017 #8
That guy could talk and write! TomVilmer Aug 2017 #9
If you hadn't stolen it, the school board would probably have ordered it removed from the shelves Ken Burch Aug 2017 #11
K&R Solly Mack Aug 2017 #12
I saw him when my father Beringia Aug 2017 #22

malaise

(267,799 posts)
18. I am listening to the annual Garvey celebrations on IRIE fm
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 08:36 PM
Aug 2017

and there was a one minute silence for Dick Gregory.

H2O Man

(73,308 posts)
20. Nice!
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 09:07 PM
Aug 2017

I've seen a few reports on the news, some with great film of his career, today. My son has been e-mailing me a number of photos of Dick, including one of him and Bob Marley!

Easterncedar

(2,119 posts)
5. You made me join
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 03:12 PM
Aug 2017

H2OMan,
After a long time lurking here, I finally signed up so I could thank you for this post. I was a youngster when I first heard of Dick Gregory, and an unwitting soldier in the school desegregation fight. He was one of those who helped make sense of the chaos for me, a white kid sent to a black school, in western New York. He was a hero, and so are you. Thanks.

H2O Man

(73,308 posts)
21. Thanks!
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 09:09 PM
Aug 2017

I'm glad that you joined.

What part of NYS did you grow up in? I was from the Sidney (Delaware County) area.

apkhgp

(1,068 posts)
6. Wisdom
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 03:28 PM
Aug 2017

Wisdom is a wonderful thing. An inheritance that keeps on giving. It does not matter where it comes from . Only how it is used and where it goes from there. To be honest I had to watch a couple of videos just now to see the kind of activist Dick Gregory was. Eye opening. During the 1968 Election he got 9 million votes from one computer in Pennsylvania, then a computer in New York took those away from him. I think that was how he explained it in the video I saw. Conspiracy, I think.


H2O Man

(73,308 posts)
23. Dick Gregory
Mon Aug 21, 2017, 04:57 PM
Aug 2017

was never afraid to challenge the system. He made people laugh throughout his career, even those who didn't like him. And, of course, the only people who disliked him were racists, and they were challenged by his message. And many of the racists liked his humor. So I always considered him a master communicator, more so than a comic, in the human rights - social justice movement.

cachukis

(2,200 posts)
8. Saw him in 1969 in New Hampshire while a high school senior.
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 03:37 PM
Aug 2017

Never forgot how he took such a serious subject and laced it with humor. Raised my level of consciousness.

TomVilmer

(1,832 posts)
9. That guy could talk and write!
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 04:01 PM
Aug 2017

From this link to Google Books, you can read the pages 200-203, and a lot of the rest of that book.

 

Ken Burch

(50,254 posts)
11. If you hadn't stolen it, the school board would probably have ordered it removed from the shelves
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 04:32 PM
Aug 2017

at some point.

If you still feel bad about it, donate a new copy to the school. After all, it's already in the reference system.

Solly Mack

(90,740 posts)
12. K&R
Sun Aug 20, 2017, 04:38 PM
Aug 2017

I marched with him for civil rights, along with several other notables. I was a fan long before that though.

He spoke at the gathering as well in typical Gregory style.



Beringia

(4,313 posts)
22. I saw him when my father
Mon Aug 21, 2017, 01:51 PM
Aug 2017

took us to see the Greenpeace ship when it was docked in Lake Michigan, though looking back, I don't know how the ship got there. My father pointed him out to us.

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