Combining wit, humor, and a willingness to say exactly what he’s thinking, Dick Gregory spoke Tuesday night in Love Auditorium as the Brothers keynote speaker for Black History Month.
A well-known political activist, comedian, author, and personal nutrition advocate, Gregory talked about “the world according to Dick,” challenging students to think while continually making them laugh.
“Comedians make you look inside yourself,” said Daniel Cantor ’09, a member of Brothers, a group of students dedicated to addressing issues facing multicultural males.
“They get at issues you wouldn’t be able to in other situations.”
Occasionally pushing the boundary of political correctness, Gregory used his smart humor to discuss race in the political campaign of Barack Obama, the bafflement he feels about the public disregard for nutrition, and a conspiracy theory relating to the recent plane crash in Buffalo.
“If this democracy we’ve got is so great, why do we have to run around the world shoving it down other people’s throat with a gun?” Gregory asked.
Dick Gregory (right), noted comedian and political activist, calls on an audience member during a lecture in Love Auditorium. (Photo by Andy Daddio)
Throughout his speech, Gregory invited audience members to read articles aloud, so that he could provide details that he believed were purposely left out.
“I definitely feel he was a bit controversial,” said Catherine Mendola ’09.
In one piece, he suggested that the plane crash in Buffalo occurred because Beverly Eckert, one of the passengers on board, had requested that the investigation about her husband’s death in the 9/11 attacks be re-opened two days earlier.
“It was absolutely disrespectful to hear him joking about the plane crash that happened in my hometown less than one week after it happened,” stated Mendola. “However, I realize that his point was to highlight what we ‘don’t know’ about a situation.”
Cantor thinks Gregory’s outspokenness is helpful in creating dialogue.
“We need people to start conversations,” he said. “I personally believe that Gregory’s lecture will be discussed and thought about… even if it is merely to refute his claims.”