Joe Morton

Joe Morton Instagram – Last night one of my heroes, my “new best friend,” Dick Gregory, was taken by the universal force. We’d only met a handful of times, yet his passing feels like the loss of a close family member. Having his blessing to do his comedy, and tell his story, I was given entrée into the power of his mind and spirit. He loved my portrayal of him and I loved that he made me feel like I was being taken under wing. His death, unsurprisingly, enlivens in me a greater need to tell his story as a beacon, a guiding light, against the darkness emerging from America’s profoundly racist and economic schisms.
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Born Robert Claxton Gregory in 1932, by 1961 Dick Gregory garnered enough fame to earn him the key to his home city, St. Louis; yet, he was denied a room at a leading hotel. “They gave me the key to the city, and then changed all the locks,” he quipped, the perfect metaphor for what Dick was up against as a comedian and a leader of The Civil Rights Movement. Through his activism and humor, Dick spent most of his life opening as many doors as possible. His prescience, wit, and wisdom will be missed, but the lessons of his labors, the insights of this “colored funny man,” will endure.
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He is now at rest, while we continue to #staywoke
Thank you #dickgregory | Posted on 21/Aug/2017 04:48:24