The cover of this book is bound to cause many to do a double take.  The crossing out of the word black is far from subtle, but anyone who is familiar with the late Richard Claxton “Dick” Gregory (1932-2017), will know that subtlety was not in his character.  He was known as a star comedian for many years but he was also a civil rights activist, nutrition guru, social critic, writer and occasional actor. His death marked the passing of a icon whose sharp wit and frankness earned him the respect of his peers and people across the nation.  Published after his death, this book takes a look at the official history of African Americans that Americans have been told for more than a century.  Gregory makes it clear early in the book that American History and Black History are one in the same.  It is a valid point and for African Americans, the United States is the only home that many have ever known.  The history that has been taught in classrooms across America continues to be re-examined in the pursuit of the truth by historians and independent researchers.  The gift of the internet has allowed truth-seekers to reach audiences of monumental sizes as we step back in time to learn what really did happen with regards to pivotal events that shaped the modern day United States.

Gregory starts early in the book,  beginning after America becomes a newly formed nation and step by step, he provides us with an outline of the events that took place to clarify what has been written in error.  Admittedly, Gregory has been viewed as a conspiracy theorist and in some parts of the book, a few statements give credence to that.  Sadly, we do not have the ability to ask him to elaborate on those statements.  I did find a few comments to be in need of further verification.  But the overall message of the book remains strong and Gregory presents an abundance of valid points.   For those who have accepted the history presented in school textbooks, Gregory might come off as out of his mind.  But if we pay careful attention to his words, he does speak a lot of truth but in a way where we can analyze things on our own and do further research.  In his defense, he never claims to be the end all source for historical information.  However, he was a prominent fixture in the civil rights movement and friends with an endless number of historical figures who were directly involved in the movement. He provides plenty of anecdotes about many stars such as Marvin Gaye (1939-1984), Michael Jackson (1958-2000) and Malcolm X (1925-1965).

The pace of the book is fast but steady and Gregory makes sure not to spend too much time on one subject.  He discusses each topic just long enough to  provided the reader with a clear picture of past events.  And while I do feel that it would have been great if he had gone into more detail, that would have required a much larger book.  His focus here, is plant enough seeds of doubt so that we continue to do research on our own and learn the truth about history.  Gregory was brilliant both as a comedian and social critic. Part of what made him such a memorable figure was his ability to shock his audience.  He pulls no punches here and makes it clear that he intends to clarify the many lies that have been told for too long.

Some of us will read this book and come away with the belief that Gregory is more of a conspiracy theorist than many thought.  He does make some statements that could be conspiracy theory oriented but he never strays too far off course or makes statements that are beyond outlandish.  But I stress again that this book is not the final word on historical events.  The book is a good start for those who have long questioned what they have been taught.  Black Americans will question their own history in a country that has a dark past with racial discrimination.  Black actors, athletes, musicians, activists and authors struggled with the system of Jim Crow and acceptance in mainstream American society.  But as Gregory shows us, they all had tremendous courage and he uses their stories to prove his point that Black Americans are not helpless, but strong people whose history has been ignored for far too long.  As a Black American, Gregory caused me to re-examined things that I learned years ago in my own search for truth.   I did learn a few things I did not know before and for other things, I have more topics to research in-depth.  I never had the opportunity to meet Dick Gregory but I had seen him in interviews on several occasions.  He is no longer with us but his voice remains as prominent and relevant as ever.  And this posthumous release is a further testament to his colorful and influence intellect that provokes thought and reflection. Good read.

ASIN: B07F13CFFH