From the Publisher
In an unprcedented show of compassion and courage, Dick Gregory has knitted together side-splitting humor and hard truths. He has awakened generations of Americans who bow when they hear his name.” — Susan L. Taylor, Founder of the National Cares Mentoring Movement and Editor-in-Chief Emerita of Essence Magazine
“Gregory’s examination of American history from a black perspective is both humorous and inspiring.” — Booklist
“I am honored to recommend my good friend Dick Gregory’s narrative on the history of America as a vital resource manual for this and future generations. For over fifty years, Dick has trusted in God to enable him to fearlessly speak truth to power and bring revelation to the masses without regard for negative consequences or financial reward. The world we live in can only benefit from reading and sharing this important work with anyone who may have forgotten or is without comprehensive knowledge of true American history.” — Martin Luther King III
Susan L. Taylor
In an unprcedented show of compassion and courage, Dick Gregory has knitted together side-splitting humor and hard truths. He has awakened generations of Americans who bow when they hear his name.”
Booklist
Gregory’s examination of American history from a black perspective is both humorous and inspiring.
Martin Luther King III
I am honored to recommend my good friend Dick Gregory’s narrative on the history of America as a vital resource manual for this and future generations. For over fifty years, Dick has trusted in God to enable him to fearlessly speak truth to power and bring revelation to the masses without regard for negative consequences or financial reward. The world we live in can only benefit from reading and sharing this important work with anyone who may have forgotten or is without comprehensive knowledge of true American history.
Booklist
Gregory’s examination of American history from a black perspective is both humorous and inspiring.
Booklist
Gregory’s examination of American history from a black perspective is both humorous and inspiring.
Library Journal
10/15/2017
As Gregory (1932–2017) tells it, he is an activist, critic, comedian, and conspiracy theorist. In this book, he combines all these talents to tell a history that is at once tragic, inspiring, revealing, and even tear-jerking. Each bite-sized section recounts truly defining moments in black history. Gregory traces the story of black America from the Middle Passage to the current (and continuing) fight against white supremacy. Starting with an introduction to "Dickology," Gregory breaks the history down by theme, including: "Searching for Freedom"; "Solidarity"; "Making Something Out of Nothing;" and "Running in Place, Embarassing the Race." He explains the significance of events and people related to each theme in entries packed with information and often laced with humor and firsthand accounts, bringing plenty of liveliness to the narrative. VERDICT Some readers might object to Gregory's "conspiracies," but that shouldn't stop them from giving this book a thorough read. With so much history packed into each segment, this eye-opening volume is sure to get readers thinking. Recommended for all readers of history, and an excellent conversation-starter for book groups.—Gricel Dominguez, Florida International Univ. Lib.
NOVEMBER 2017 - AudioFile
Comic Dick Gregory doesn’t so much set the record straight as spin his interpretations of recent history through his firsthand lens and a handful of conspiracy theories. James Shippy proves to be the perfect narrator for such tale-spinning with a deep, resonant voice that delivers Gregory's prose rhythmically and tonally on cue. At times, when Gregory slides into full-on conspiracy theory—for example, alleging that Bill Cosby's son was killed as a result of Cosby's attempt to buy NBC—Shippy doesn't vocally hint at skepticism but rather plays it so straight that listeners may raise an eyebrow. However, Gregory’s most powerful moments occur when he shares anecdotes on the personal relationships he has had with many well-known and lesser-known African-American leaders in the last 60 years. L.E. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2017-07-17
The comedian, activist, and social critic highlights key events in black history in America.Gregory (Callus on My Soul, 2000, etc.) notes that his perspective is unique because he was there—at least for many of the 20th-century events he chronicles. The author traces black history from the beginnings of the slave trade out of Africa, a history with which most readers are familiar. But Gregory adds further facts that got left behind. For example, regarding the horrific middle passage: "Prior to the Middle Passage sharks had a natural migration….Then [it] came along—all that blood in the ocean. The blood of millions of black people. The sharks changed their migration pattern to follow the blood." The book is full of such eye-opening—sometimes shocking—historical tidbits, about everything from Rosa Parks to the Dred Scott decision to Pullman Porters to the Montgomery Bus Boycott to the Million Man March to W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, and the Atlanta Compromise. The book is full of heroes and heroines, many that history books overlook—e.g., Dorothy Height, the "godmother of civil rights." Not surprisingly in a book from Gregory, the conspiracy theories are in abundance, and many make perfect sense. Certainly, there have been white supremacists who hatched plots to defeat and even kill blacks who tried to band together for their rights. Gregory's attitude is not one of anger, and he shows a deep respect for God: "I plant the turnips, but it's your sunshine…your rain that waters the crops." The author believes most in the need for progress and change, which, he admits, "does not come quickly." But it is crucial, and it requires knowledge. "Along with my activism," he writes, "I have spent my entire life in the pursuit of knowledge." Gregory's devotion to civil rights and his global recognition add to his appealing writing style and clever sense of humor to make this a book for a wide audience.
