Comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory died on Saturday night, his family announced on Twitter. The 84-year-old had been receiving treatment at a hospital in Washington DC for a severe bacterial infection for a week, according to The Guardian.
Gregory was one of the first black comedians in United States to perform in front of a white audience. He regularly mocked racism through in his performances. He also undertook civil rights activities in the 1960s and campaigned against the Vietnam War. Gregory even ran for the mayor’s post in Chicogo in 1966.
Condolences poured in on social media.
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