A brief impression of Dick Gregory ..more than just a comedian.

                                   

 

I met Dick Gregory in April 1967, when he was in London to appear at the Royal Albert Hall, opening for Nina Simone (when I was working for the Gunnell Agency who were promoting her UK tour). His rep at that time was as a stand-up comedian, so it came as something of a surprise when he pressed into my hand a small plastic lapel badge, on which was the slogan '"Write in Dick Gregory: President for Peace in '68". I had hitherto no idea of his political activities, neither did I understand what 'Write in etc. etc.' meant (not something we have over here), so he patiently explained it to me. My overall recollection of him was his 'presence' - calm and dignified, but intense at the same time. You just knew he was somebody special. Though I wasn't in that 'presence' for very long, I still remember that meeting 54 years ago with a clarity that few other occasions engender...oh, and I still have the badge!   

 

Political career

Gregory began his political career by running against Richard J. Daley for Mayor of Chicago in 1967. Though he did not win, this would not prove to be the end of his participation in electoral politics.

He then ran for President of the United States in 1968 as a 'Write-in Candidate' of the Freedom and Peace Party, which had broken off from the Peace and Freedom Party. He garnered 47,097 votes, including one from Hunter S. Thompson, with fellow activist Mark Lane as his running mate in some states.

Gregory then wrote the book Write Me In about his presidential campaign. One anecdote in the book relates the story of a publicity stunt that came out of Operation Breadbasket in Chicago. The campaign had printed one-dollar bills with Gregory's image on them, some of which made it into circulation. The majority of these bills were quickly seized by the federal government, much in part to the bills resembling authentic US currency enough to work in many dollar-cashing machines of the day. 

Comments

[colin richardson]

Interesting. Thanks for that info, SR. I had read that remark, but wasn't aware that some had actually been passed as currency. Poetic justice?

[SR]

Very cool. He only got 47,000 votes in the candidacy for the President of the US in 1968. Some of the bills were used to purchase items, as they look very much like a US bill, only as Dick remarked (according to his biography) "everyone knows this bill is not real, there is no way they would put a black president on the bill."