The autobiography of comedian and social activist
Dick Gregory, co-authored with
Robert Lipsyte
Robert Michael Lipsyte (born January 16, 1938) is an American sports journalist and author and former Ombudsman for ESPN. He is a member of the Board of Contributors for ''USA Todays Forum Page, part of the newspaper's Opinion section. He re ...
, ''nigger ''was originally published in September 1964 by
E. P. Dutton
E. P. Dutton was an American Publishing, book publishing company. It was founded as a book retailer in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1852 by Edward Payson Dutton. Since 1986, it has been an imprint of Penguin Group.
Creator
Edward Payson Dutton ( ...
, and has since 1965 been reprinted numerous times in an edition available through
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.
History
Pocket Books produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in the United States in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing in ...
, altogether selling more than one million copies to date. The book has never been out of print since its publication. Gregory continued his life story in two subsequent books, ''Up From Nigger'' and ''Callus On My Soul.'' Gregory earned a $200,000 advance from the book.
Origins
It was written during the
American Civil Rights Movement. Gregory comments on his choice of title in the book's primary dedication, addressing his late mother,
Table of contents
* Not Poor, Just Broke
* "...and they didn't even have what I wanted."
* One Less Door
The book contains photographs of Gregory performing at the
Village Gate; he and his brother (1942); his mother, Lucille; Gregory as a drummer at
Southern Illinois University (1953); as an SIU sprinter and Outstanding Athlete of the Year (1953); with coach Leland Lingle (1954); with
Sammy Davis Jr.
Samuel George Davis Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American singer, dancer, actor, comedian, film producer and television director.
At age three, Davis began his career in vaudeville with his father Sammy Davis Sr. and the ...
at
Roberts Show Club, Chicago (1959); in a jail cell in Chicago; performing at the
Hungry i
The hungry i was a nightclub in San Francisco, California, originally located in the North Beach neighborhood. It played a major role in the history of stand-up comedy in the United States. It was launched by Eric "Big Daddy" Nord, who sold i ...
, San Francisco (1963, shortly before the murder of
Medgar Evers); at a voter registration rally,
Greenwood, Mississippi (April 1963), among others.
Quotes
Addressing his maternal ancestors again,
Cover title
The original book cover stylizes the main title, "nigger", in all lower case, cursive writing. The title in its other appearances is otherwise formatted as most other books, either in all uppercase, or with normal book title capitalization.
Reception
The ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' wrote, in its review,
The book has been the subject of critical commentary, particularly in reference to its use of the pejorative term as the title. It remains one of his best known works.
In 2016, the Dean of
Matteo Ricci College
Matteo Ricci College, one of eight schools and colleges at Seattle University in Washington state, offers three degrees: the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities for Teaching (BAHT), the Bachelor of Arts in Humanities for Leadership (BAHL), and the Bac ...
at
Seattle University
Seattle University (SeattleU) is a private Jesuit university in Seattle, Washington. Seattle University is the largest independent university in the Northwestern United States, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate prog ...
was forced to resign after students protested her recommending the book to an African-American student. While the controversy was ongoing, Dick Gregory published an article supporting her against the protesters.
See also
* ''
The Nigger Bible'', a 1967 analysis of the word, with a preface by Gregory
References
{{Reflist
Dick Gregory
1964 non-fiction books
African-American autobiographies
E. P. Dutton books
Pocket Books books
Collaborative autobiographies