Dick Gregory, a comedian who lambasted racism and played a prominent role in the 1960s civil rights movement after becoming one of the first black comics to perform for white audiences, died on Saturday at age 84, his son said.
"It is with enormous sadness that the Gregory family confirms that their father, comedic legend and civil rights activist Mr. Dick Gregory departed this earth tonight in Washington, D.C.," his son, Christian, wrote on Instagram.
Gregory, who lived in Washington, died of heart failure in Sibley Memorial Hospital, where he had checked in a week ago after falling ill, said his longtime publicist, Steve Jaffe.