Students poured into the Performing Arts Center to hear the legendary Dick Gregory speak words of wisdom this past Thursday evening.

Many welcomed the speaker and lined up at the doors to get a good seat. The crowd was so large that a number of members had to spill over into the balcony.

In today’s generation, not many know who Gregory is, but that all changed after he hit the stage with his charisma and compelling words.

Dick Gregory is a man of many talents ranging from classic comedian, to strong political activist and most recently, nutritionist. He travels around the world speaking on various topics and sharing the experiences of the world through his eyes.

Born Richard Claxton Gregory and nick named Dick, Gregory was born Oct. 12, 1932 St. Louis, Mo.  Getting an early start in his younger years, Gregory joined in the arena for social causes in high school.  In 1951, he entered Southern Illinois University. Being the natural athlete that he was, Gregory received scholarship funds from the school.

That same year, Gregory left for the military where he began his career as a comedian.  What started as humble beginnings soon became a success story. His breakthrough finally came in 1961 when he performed at a comedy club for one night. That one night soon became a six-week comedy routine. He also landed a spot on “The Jack Paar Show.” Soon the comedian was all over television shows, radio shows and even more comedy concerts. Gregory was ranked equal to some of the most gifted black comedians during that era, including Nipsey Russel, Bill Cosby and Godfrey Cambridge.

Social injustice, politics and poverty were only a few of the topics Gregory targeted to use as material. Using his high standing position in the media, he used his comedy to reach out and really open people’s eyes to these issues that were still highly prevalent.

“I’ve always fought for them,” Gregory said when asked about standing his ground on his beliefs.

When he began to spend more time on social issues and less time on the stage, Gregory reached out to the community using other platforms like politics. Convinced that social and racial injustices had carried on for far too long, he became inspired by the works of his friend Martin Luther King, Jr. In addition to the sit-ins and marches, he ran a presidential campaign in 1968 and received well over one million votes. After the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and political figure King, Gregory became confident that political conspiracies were taking place and only began to work harder to rid America of the unfairness.

“Martin Luther King exposed me to gentle ways, (to) fight for human rights by movement,” Gregory said.

When asked about the death of longtime friend King, Gregory said, “He was my friend. When they killed him a part of me died.”

Comedy and political activist were both still solid occupations for Gregory, but he still had many more abilities yet to be unleashed. Gregory is the author of two autobiographies. One was published in 1963 and went on to become the No. 1 best-selling book in America.

“I’ve lived long enough to write two autobiographies, and that’s fine with me,” Gregory said.

Over the years, Dick Gregory has touched the hearts of many and introduced new ideas into the minds of others. He has made such an impact and influence on our community that many of us are not even aware of.

“(There is) a big difference,” Gregory said. There is a large transformation between way things are and the way things used to be. These changes are attributed to game changers like Gregory

“Twelve years changed the whole world,” Gregory said. “Look at what you can do in just twelve years when you don’t have hate in your heart.”

Reverend King was active in fighting for the civil rights movements for the short period of just twelve years, but the message he sent will be heard for years to come.

When asked about the future, Gregory said, “Better information equals better power.”