Harris-Stowe State University December 5, 2011 Comedian, Activist Dick Gregory to Keynote MLK Celebration at Harris-Stowe ST. LOUIS, MO (December 5, 2011) - Activist, comedian and nutritionist Dick Gregory of St. Louis, will serve as the keynote speaker for the 26th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. State Celebration Kick-off Program for Missouri. The event will take place on Saturday, January 7, 2012, in the main auditorium of Harris-Stowe State University. Gregory began performing comedy in the mid-1950s while serving in the Army. He entered the national comedy scene in 1961, when Chicago's Playboy Club - at the direct request of Hugh Hefner - booked him as a replacement for comedian "Professor" Irwin Corey. Following a successful run at the club, he was offered a contract extension. By 1962, Gregory was hit amongst white and black audiences and had become a headliner, selling out nightclubs, making numerous national television appearances and recording popular comedy albums. He eventually joined comedians like Nipsey Russell, Bill Cosby and Godfrey Cambridge in their quest to dismiss any stereotypes about black characters. Gregory's ironic and satirical style focused on current events and racial issues of the time. From an early age, Gregory demonstrated a strong sense of social justice. While a student at Sumner High School in St. Louis he led a March protesting segregated schools. Later, inspired by the work of leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Gregory took part in the Civil Rights Movement and used his celebrity status to draw attention to such issues as segregation and disfranchisement. When local Mississippi governments stopped distributing federal food surpluses to poor Blacks in areas where SNCC was encouraging voter registration, Gregory chartered a plane to bring in several tons of food. He participated in SNCC's voter registration drives and sit-ins to protest segregation, most notably at a restaurant franchise in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Only later did Gregory disclose that he held stock in the chain. Gregory's autobiography, "Nigger," was published in 1963 prior to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and became the No. 1 best-selling book in America. Over the decades, it has sold in excess of 7 million copies. His choice for the title was explained in the forward, where he wrote a note to his mother stating, "Whenever you hear the word nigger, you'll know they're advertising my book." Through the 1960s, Gregory spent more time on social issues and less time on performing. He participated in marches and parades to support a range of causes, including opposition to the Vietnam War, world hunger, and drug abuse. In addition, Gregory fasted in protest more than 60 times, once in Iran, where he fasted and prayed in an effort to urge the Ayatollah Khomeini to release American embassy staff who had been taken hostage. In 2001, Gregory announced to the world that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. He refused chemotherapy and instead opted for an alternative medicine, vitamins, exercise and diet regimen. Today, he is 100 percent cancer free. Gregory is married to Lil and they have 10 children together. Gregory's experiences have made him well versed on a variety of relevant topics impacting Americans today. He will enlighten an audience of more than 1,200 at this year's MLK celebration, themed Strength, Sacrifice and Service: Empowering a New Generation. The program will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. This annual event is free and open to the public. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.