Dick Gregory, the black comedian who broke down racial barriers in the s and used humour to spread messages of social justice, has died. He was He had suffered a severe bacterial infection. Gregory was one of the first black comedians to find mainstream success with white audiences in the early s. He rose from an impoverished childhood in St.

CNN Comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory, who broke barriers in the s and became one of the first African-Americans to perform at white clubs, died Saturday. He taught us how to laugh. He taught us how to fight. He taught us how to live. Dick Gregory was committed to justice. I miss him already. RIP pic.

Dick Gregory, depending on when one joins or leaves his story, may be remembered as a stand-up comic, someone who used to be a comic, or someone who used to be a comic who became one again; a person who went on long fasts to make political points, a dedicated activist, a nutritional pitchman and mogul, or a prickly elder statesman, a guest on all manner of talk shows, radio programs, podcasts and panels. For some, the name will ring no bells at all. He was away a lot, saving the world. It is as good or better a way to celebrate the Fourth of July than anything else you may have planned.

Richard Claxton Gregory October 12, — August 19, was an American comedian, civil rights and vegetarian activist. Gregory became popular among the African-American communities in the southern United States with his "no-holds-barred" sets, poking fun at the bigotry and racism in the United States. In he became a staple in the comedy clubs, appeared on television, and released comedy record albums. Gregory was at the forefront of political activism in the s, when he protested the Vietnam War and racial injustice. He was arrested multiple times and went on many hunger strikes.