Civil rights activist and comedian Dick Gregory spoke Tuesday at the Kay Spiritual Life Center, encouraging the audience to not just complain about the problems of the world but to take action.
No group in history has made more progress in 40 years than black people in America, he said.
As a prominent leader during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, Gregory was often jailed alongside Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
When King was assassinated, the "light bulbs of hope" in people's minds went out, Gregory said. He described Coretta Scott King as a mother that "kissed the hurts of a broken world."
He reminded the audience that if it were not for the efforts of black Americans during the Civil Rights movement, women would not have the rights that they have today. It wasn't white men that helped women, he said, it was black people who pushed for civil rights for everyone.
"I think he was very accurate because he's walked with Martin Luther King," said Kedenard Raymond, a sophomore in the School of International Service. "He's not a bitter black man, he sees both sides, he's just very blatant."
While he was hopeful about how far America has come, Gregory pointed out aspects of hypocrisy and problems in modern society. Three million people visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial each year, he said.
The audience gave him a standing ovation after he concluded his remarks. "I expected [Gregory's speech] to be shocking, and some parts were hard to swallow," Raymond said. "But I thought he spoke a lot of truth. Compared to the momentum in the civil rights movement, we're not where we should be. African Americans have progressed, but there's still covert racism"
