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Portrait of Dick Gregory

Dick Gregory

(1932–2017) Comedian United States

135 quotes in 748 categories

He says certain things have to be explained, even if they’ve never been before. He jokes that entertainers would work for free, while business people rarely make that claim. He also critiques how society treats skin color and hair, and he admits his humor can be a weapon.

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Dick Gregory was a comedian from the United States, best known for Nigger: an autobiography.

Quick Facts About Dick Gregory

Born: October 12, 1932
Died: August 19, 2017
Nationality: United States
Profession: Comedian
Notable works: Nigger: an autobiography
Spouse: Lillian Gregory

About Dick Gregory

Richard Claxton Gregory was an American comedian, actor, writer, activist and social critic. 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 1961 he became a staple in the comedy clubs, appeared on television, and released comedy record albums.

Awards & Honors

Thomas Merton Award star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Phoenix Award

Quotes by Dick Gregory

Fear and God do not occupy the same space.

Fear

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I'm not a comic. I'm a humorist.

Comedy

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It's cool to be healthy.

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The free man is the man with no fears.

Fear

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Life isn't a race. It's a relay.

Life

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I am one of the funniest people on the planet.

Comedy

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Hell hath no fury like a liberal scorned.

Anger

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The world is fed by greed.

Feds

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At the very last moment, Nature would force you to blink your eye. Nature will protect her own.

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Poor is a state of mind you never grow out of, but being broke is just a temporary condition.

Being broke

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To me, seeing a really great comedian is a bit like watching a musician or a poet.

Comedian

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You got to die of something because if you die of nothing, they won't pay your insurance.

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If democracy is such a good thing, let's have more of it.

Democracy

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Truth is the baby of the world. It never gets old.

Baby

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Audiences feel no hatred from me. Because I'm not bitter.

Audience

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Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss.

Delight

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America is concerned more with the possibility of moon folks than the reality of hungry poor folks.

America

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One of the things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people.

Doing for others

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Dogs are great assets to candidates, and the feeling seems to be engendered that if a dog loves the candidate, he can't…

Animal

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The jelly-bean eating thug says that national defense is important. But national defense starts at home.

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I never thought I'd see the day that I would see white folks as frightened, or more so, than black folks was…

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What price would God demand from the churches for having the audacity to lighten the color of his son's skin, and straighten…

Audacity

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Political promises are much like marriage vows. They are made at the beginning of the relationship between candidate and voter, but are…

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Because you make me laugh don't make you a comic. A comedian is a person who, that's how they make their living.

Comedian

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You hear entertainers all the time, saying, 'If I couldn't get paid for this, I'd do it for free.' When's the last…

British

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I believe young voters will either vote for Obama or not vote at all. So the problem is not Obama the problem…

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Black Americans are the only people in history who are for education instead of liberation. George Washington wasn't beating up on British…

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People keep telling me about the white race and the black race - and it really doesn't make sense. I played Miami,…

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I went to Ethiopia, and it dawned on me that you can tell a starving, malnourished person because they've got a bloated…

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We thought I was going to be a great athlete, and we were wrong, and I thought I was going to be…

American citizen

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Civil Rights: What black folks are given in the U.S. on the installment plan, as in civil-rights bills. Not to be confused…

Belonging

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In the United States, the Constitution is a health chart left by the Founding Fathers which shows whether or not the body…

Body

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“And then the foreman told another boss to put me down in the furnace pit. "Nigger can take the heat better," he…

Civil rights

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My wife and I went to jail in Selma. The difference when I was back there recently? White folks? No. Black folks…

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When you have a good mother and no father, God kind of sits in. It's not enough, but it helps.

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My belief is, you know, certain things have to be explained that's never been explained.

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The only person on the planet saying derogatory things about his woman is the black man.

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Race baiters and discriminators may go underground, but they never move out of town.

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Luck is opportunity meeting up with preparation. So you must prepare yourself to be lucky.

Luck

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...Pets are found to suffer from all the ailments known to the human...

Age

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Dick Gregory by topic

People (22) America (11) Racism (10)