Comedian-rights activist Dick Gregory dies

Dick Gregory, the pioneering standup comedian and civil rights activist who made his advocacy work a key component of his on-stage persona, died Saturday night in Washington, DC. He was 84.

Gregory's death was confirmed by his family in an Instagram post.

 Gregory was active on the standup and public speaking circuit on and off for more than a half-century. He had been making comedy appearances until he was hospitalised on August 9.

Gregory made his mark in the early 1960s as a rare African-American comedian who was successful in nightclubs geared to white audiences. 

Gregory was known for his folksy delivery and for incorporating commentary about segregation and discrimination into his routines. During this period he released a number of successful spoken word albums. By the mid-1960s Gregory turned his focus to full-time work as an activist with Martin Luther King Jr. and others. 

A prolific writer, Gregory's other books included “Up From N—–“, “No More Lies,” and “Callus on My Soul”. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015.

Source: Variety