Richard Claxton Gregory

October 12, 1932 –  August 19, 2017

(Bon Mots)

Where I am from this movement…it gave me a turtle philosophy. I am the turtle. Hard on the outside, soft on the inside and willing to stick my neck out!

Poor is a state of mind you never grow out of, but being broke is just a temporary condition.

HUH?!?

I’m tired of people looking at this election from the standpoint of fear. Fear and God do not occupy the same space.

Listen!

Love is a man’s natural endowment, but he doesn’t know how to use it. He refuses to recognize the power of love because of his love of power.

Last time I was down south I walked into this restaurant and this white waitress came up to me and said, “We don’t serve colored people here.” I said, “That’s all right, I don’t eat colored people.  Bring me a whole fried chicken.”

I got a cousin in Kansas City, Mo. He has 27 locks on the door and he ain’t got nothing in the house! I said, “Boy, if someone broke in here, they would leave something.” The house is so small, he stuck the key in the door and stabbed 12 people.

96% of homicides are caused by arguments, we need a lock on our attitudes, not a lock on our doors.

Because I’m a civil rights activist, I am also an animal rights activist. Animals and humans suffer and die alike. Violence causes the same pain, the spilling of blood, the same stench of death, the same arrogant, cruel and vicious taking of life.  We shouldn’t be a part of it.

I was learning that just being Negro doesn’t qualify you to understand the race situation any more than being sick makes you an expert on medicine.

Riches do not delight us so much with their possession, as torment us with their loss.

“Hi there guy, when can we expect a payment?” I said, “Well, I’m not in control of your your expectations.  Matter of fact, you can expect a payment all the time.”

Love is very dangerous if you just have love and don’t have the ability to be lovable.

One of things I keep learning is that the secret of being happy is doing things for other people.

Thank you Dick Gregory!! Well done sir, well done!