Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies by Dick Gregory

The Urban Life Experience Book Discussion continued today, Saturday, May 18, 2019 by discussing Defining Moments in Black History: Reading Between the Lies by Dick Gregory.

There were nine of us on Saturday and two of the participants were first-timers. One participant brought her great-grandson who was a first grader and extremely cute. His presence provided us an opportunity to describe the contents of the book without using some of the words or mentioning some of the topics Mr. Gregory presented. Instead of restricting our conversation, this actually enhanced our conversation, forcing us to be creative in our tone and language.

 This was Dick Gregory’s last book and in fact he had already passed away when the book came on the market.  We all agreed that this would be a great book for a young person who had no knowledge of African American History.

The book details The Middle Passage, Nat Turner, Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, Eli Whitney, The Dred Scott Decision, John Brown, Abraham Lincoln, W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, and right on up through modern history.

Dick Gregory defined himself as an activist, critic, comedian, and conspiracy theorist. He took the time to get the details and the names of all who had a part in the history of movement: The Little Rock Nine, the four North Carolina A & T Students who started the sit-ins, the four young girls who were killed in the terrible Birmingham church bombing in 1963, and even the security guard at the Watergate Hotel who led to bringing down President Nixon.

However, the book loses its impact when mixed with the conspiracies that just seem too improbable. Also, it seems that the information wasn’t presented in any particular order.

In our discussion, Shelara said that an editor could have helped to put the various topics together making for a more coherent book. She said it was though they sat a recorder in front of Mr. Gregory and then just transcribed whatever he said.

Shirley defended this approach of transcribing whatever Mr. Gregory said. She said that it was true to the authentic voice of Dick Gregory.

Shelara agreed that authenticity is a good thing and you can follow what he said when he was speaking but that in written form, it doesn’t really work.

Maxine said she listened to the audio-book and it worked for her. (The audio-book is read by James Shippy.)

Speaking about the conspiracy theories, Judy said that she thought he just “tossed out things” that were controversial in order to get people to think. We talked all about certain so-called conspiracy theories that we kind of believe are true.

 Shelara mentioned a book called A Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner. Obviously this book details a great deal of misdeeds by the CIA that lends credibility to some the claims Mr. Gregory made.

Shelara pointed out that by using the phrase “conspiracy theory,” you can discard anything (even the true things) that a person says.

Maxine said that she admired Dick Gregory for his humor and because he recognized the pain people were in and he delivered truth with a dose of “funny.”

We all agreed that Dick Gregory was consistent in his defense of all humanity. We delved a little into the Buffalo Soldiers being ordered to kill the Native Americans and how Dick Gregory had gently reprimanded Bob Marley for writing a song about them. Of course Bob Marley wrote the song from the point of admiring them, not knowing their role in the genocide. This led Judy to point out that the Buffalo Soldiers were in the military; in the military you have to follow orders, so in that respect, they were heroes in their jobs.

Marilyn pointed out that it was the Natives who gave the name Buffalo Soldiers, because they killed the buffalo, the Natives’ source of sustenance.

We learn so much from each other during these discussions! Dick Gregory’s book detailed many of the concepts I had only “heard about” during my school years. Reading this book and then discussing it with the participants opened my eyes to how little education I received in school.

Our next book is Looking for Lorraine: The Radiant and Radical Life of Lorraine Hansberry written by Imani Perry.