Gregory - Defining moments in Black history: reading between the lies

Part of the fallacy of white supremacy is the setting of whiteness as the norm and everything else as other. Have you ever thought about the fact that even though most of this countrys predominately white colleges had racial discrimination as part of their founding principles they are referred to simply as colleges or universities; however, our schools had to be specifically labeled as black colleges and universities? The same is true for fraternities, sororities, churches, dolls, books, and even Jesus! Black Jesus? Im still trying to figure that one out since the Bible itself describes Jesus as a black man. Nowhere is this white standard-setting more outrageous than when it comes to history. When the topic is about anybody other than white folks, it has to be labeled: Black, Latino, Native American, etc.; but white folks have been allowed to own history. As this planets original people, there is no history without us. Further, even when we moved outside of Africa, from ancient Greece and Rome to the Russian Empire to the start of the American Revolution to today, black folks have touched all of humanitys most significant events. Neither the world nor America would be what they are today without the contributions of people of African Ancestry, let us be clear once and for all that black history is history.

To the women and men in the struggle. Particularly the women.

Most people are scared of books. What I have to say to them is you can burn a book, it cant burn you.

Dick Gregory

Nobody on the planets got a better memory than a man who is illiterate. When he hits on a woman, since he cant write down her name, number, and address, hes got to memorize it.

I wasnt always the smartest man in the room. On October 12 they closed the schools. I thought they did it for my birthday, since I was born on that day. It made me feel special. I didnt know anything about Columbus Day when I was coming up. Im amused by that now, but what Ive come to learn in my long life is that ignorance is not bliss; it is time consuming and costly as hell.

Case in point: As a boy, I loved cowboy movies and went to see them three times a week, with the big show being on Sundays. I could relate to the cowboy because I saw my life in his. In every scene, he wore the same pair of boots, the same jacket, the same outfit. His shoes were not shined. His socks were not clean. I never saw him read a book. Never saw him go to dinner. And I said, Thats me.

Cowboys were the biggest sensation on the planet at the time, and I thought I was one of them. But reality quickly set in. After the movie was over and I was leaving, I would walk through the alleys on my way home. I was embarrassed. Although the cowboys wore the same clothes, and that made me feel comfortable in my poverty, I was not fully affirmed because I did not see any black cowboys in the movies. Once the movie was over, I was reminded that I was a poor black boy, and I felt shame.

My boyhood shame shaped my life and my beliefs. It made me recognize that you dont buy a Rolls-Royce and go back to the ghetto with it. You hang out where Rolls-Royce people hang out. Why? Because you violate poor people with the very act of showing them what you have and reminding them of what is out of reach to them. The people in the ghetto are driving around in twenty-year-old Fords. If you bring a Rolls-Royce around, you obviously embarrass them. This is one of the reasons Im disturbed by some black ministers, those that flash their excess around their poor congregants and claim its a blessing from God. Why is God blessing only you? See, Catholic priests, no matter how much money they have, they all wear uniforms. No fancy clothes to make other folks feel bad about their own bargain basement clothing. You couldnt get more flamboyant than Daddy Grace, the founder and first bishop of the United House of Prayer for All People. He and his lover were wearing mink coats before they made them for men. I knew they were womens garb because the coats these guys had on, buttoned on the left. And every Saturday, Daddy Grace would come out there and say, Im in love with a man. I just cant call his nameand everybody thought he was talking about Jesus.

If I had a church and a Rolls-Royce, I would park six blocks away from the church and put on my robe. As Ive matured, Ive realized that poverty is nothing to be ashamed of. The way I see it, the poor make a sacrifice for the rich, but thats a whole other story.

Although I felt bad after seeing the cowboy movies, while I was watching them I was transported. Ive never been on a horse in my life, literally. I didnt have a horse, but Id slap my leg and say, Giddy up, giddy up! And when my mama made me mad, Id say pow and point my finger like it was a gun.

After that, what were the odds of me growing up and liking nonviolent Martin Luther King Jr.? As a boy, John Wayne was my hero. John Wayne didnt talk about nonviolence. If youre right and theyre wrong, then kill emthats what John Wayne said, and I loved that. Then I had to rethink that whole thing when I got to know King. Now I look at John Wayne and say, You nasty, violent, ignorant somebody. Thats why I say ignorance is not bliss, but costly. I did not understand the limits of violence. It took Martin Luther King to show me. And I didnt know that I shouldnt be ashamed of being poor either.

But change in attitude does not come quickly. When I was in high school, I worked at the Shell gas station making more money than I had ever had. One summer day, the weather was good. A few of the other guys and I were talking trash and looking at some girls who were standing on the corner. I said, Man, lets forget about work, and we skipped work for several days to hang with the girls. We didnt worry about it until it got close to payday. At the same time, we were kind of thinking that we might be fired, since we hadnt shown up for work in days. We were scared to return. Sure enough, when we went back to work, the boss said to me, Where you been? I lied and said, My mama died. Next thing I know, he came on over, started touching my shoulder, saying, Oh, Im so sorry to hear that. Oh, Im just so sorry. Then he opened up his old, worn-out leather wallet, took out a ten-dollar bill, handed it to me, and said, Just enjoy yourself. I said, I came to get my check! He said, Hold on. Ill get it for you.

About six months later, same thing happened. This guy named Charles Simmons and I were just sitting outside talking trash to the girls, not thinking about going to work. Eventually, we went to get our checks, and my white employer asked, Where you been? I said, My mama died. And he did the same thing as the previous timepatted me on the back and gave me money. At that moment, I knew that he was not really thinking about me. Learning that my boss did not sincerely care was an important lesson for me to learn early in life. I have not worked for anyone since. Ive been on my own making up my career as I go along. People call me an activist, social critic, comedian, and, lets not forget, conspiracy theorist. In this book, I have combined all of these talents to allow us to look at American history differently. Part of my unique perspective was having been there. I was friends with most of the people mentioned and I stood next to some of them during their greatest momentsMuhammed Ali, Michael Jackson, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, Dr. King, Malcolm X, and so many more.

Along with my activism, I have spent my entire life in the pursuit of knowledgeknowledge as it has meaning to me as a person of color. I appreciate all people, no matter their race, especially since we all evolved from the same stardust. But we must all be honest and recognize that the way black people see the world is quite different from how others see it, which is as it should be.