Legendary Comedian and Civil Rights Activist Dick Gregory Was a Brother of Alpha Phi Alpha

Did you know that the groundbreaking comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.? Long before the world knew his name, he became a brother of the fraternity as a young athlete in Illinois.

Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory was born on October 12, 1932, in St. Louis, Missouri. He earned a track scholarship to Southern Illinois University, where he became a standout middle-distance runner. There, Gregory also became a 1954 initiate of the Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at Southern Illinois University.

Gregory changed the face of American comedy. As Britannica documents, he achieved national recognition in 1961 after a performance at Chicago’s Playboy Club, becoming known for a biting brand of comedy that attacked racial prejudice head-on. He was one of the first Black comedians to break through to white audiences, and he used that platform to give a comedic voice to the civil rights movement.

His activism went far beyond the stage. Gregory marched alongside civil rights leaders, was arrested and jailed for his participation in demonstrations, and used hunger strikes to protest injustice at home and abroad. In 1968, he ran for president of the United States on the Freedom and Peace Party ticket, turning his campaign into a platform for social change.

In his later years, Gregory reinvented himself yet again as a prominent advocate for health and nutrition, while continuing to write books and speak out on the issues he cared about. His 1964 autobiography became a bestseller and a landmark of American letters.

Dick Gregory died on August 19, 2017, in Washington, D.C. From the track at Southern Illinois University to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Alpha Phi Alpha’s Dick Gregory spent his life using humor and courage to tell the truth about America.