Today, we continue our 7-part series on the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee known as SNCC, focusing on the late civil rights activist, comedian, and social critic Dick Gregory.
During this episode, you will hear a speech at the SNCC 50th anniversary conference by Gregory, who died at 84 in August of 2017. Gregory used his comedic abilities to communicate the need for civil-rights activism as well as in his efforts of direct action, such as an attempt to integrate a Mississippi restaurant before the historic 1963 March on Washington.
At protest marches, Gregory was repeatedly beaten and jailed, once telling a police officer who dragged him across the street, Thanks a million. Up north, police dont escort me across the street. Gregory is remembered for his combination of wit and insight to combat racism in the United States.
