Seven Million Steps: The True Story of Dick Gregory's Run for the Hungry

by Derrick Barnes, Frank Morrison (Illustrator), Christian Gregory

Overview

From award-winning creators, Derrick Barnes, Frank Morrison, and Dr. Christian Gregory comes the true story of comedian and activist Dick Gregory’s remarkable Food Run of 1976.

1 man. 1,011 hours. 3,200 miles. 7 million steps.

What would you do?

In April of 1976, Dick Gregory sets off on a Herculean and grueling two-and-a-half month run. His goal: to raise awareness about the epidemic of poverty and hunger in America.

Sleeping in motels and consuming nothing but fruit juices, vitamins and water, he runs from Los Angeles to New York City. And in each city, he stops to speak the truth about injustice. About the plight of the penniless. About the hopeless.

Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter come together to ask you—yes you—what would you do if you had a wild idea to stand up for something you believe in? Find out how far Dick Gregory’s belief in feeding the hungry took him in this unforgettable story of an incredible journey that still reverberates today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063357525
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/03/2026
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Derrick Barnes is the creator of the New York Times bestselling companion picture books The King of Kindergarten and The Queen of Kindergarten. His graphic novel Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice was a National Book Award finalist and won many other awards. He is also the author of the critically acclaimed, multi-award-winning picture book Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut, which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Author Honor, the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award, and the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers. Derrick currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his enchanting wife, Dr. Tinka Barnes, and their four sons, the Mighty Barnes Brothers. You can visit him online at derrickdbarnes.com.

Frank Morrison is the award-winning illustrator of many books for young readers, including Jazzy Miz Mozetta by Brenda C. Roberts, winner of the Coretta Scott King—John Steptoe Award for New Talent; Katheryn Russell-Brown's Little Melba and Her Big Trombone, a Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book; and Gene Barretta's Muhammad Ali. Before becoming a children's book illustrator and fine artist, Morrison toured the globe as a break-dancer. He lives in Georgia with his family. You can visit him online at morrisongraphics.com.

Christian Gregory is the eighth child of Dick and Lillian Gregory. Born in Chicago, he was raised in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and graduated from Morgan State University, where he earned a Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life University in Atlanta. He is the cocreator of Dick Gregory Media, Inc. and the manager of his father’s estate.