Forevermore—let that word linger in your mind for just a moment: forevermore. This word perfectly captures the enduring spirit and legacy of the Gregory family.

Now let me begin this tribute by saying how fitting it is that today’s celebration of Plymouth as an international city of peace is being held in the 1820 courtroom, where justice once took center stage, here in the heart of Plymouth, America’s Hometown.

Though no longer a functioning courthouse, this room remains powerfully symbolic—a witness to history—as injustice continues to be contested in courtrooms like this, from Selma to Johannesburg, from Tiananmen Square to New Delhi, and at the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

Justice is never just for “us.” It’s meant for all—fairness, dignity, human rights. This is the justice Dick and Lillian Gregory lived and fought for.

From the early 1960s, Dick and Lillian Gregory stood shoulder to shoulder with fellow civil rights activists as they were branded “criminals” in the eyes of the law for resisting oppression.

Marching with Dr. King, Angela Davis, Benjamin Spock, Muhammad Ali, Maya Angelou, and Rosa Parks—all recipients of the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award—Lillian and Dick Gregory knew the importance of having skin in the game. Holding signs and marching, while important, is never enough.

When arrested for nonviolent civil disobedience, it was always intentional -they freely gave up their freedom to stand against oppression—not only for African Americans, but for Indigenous peoples and all minorities and those marginalized, as well as those crushed by greed in an economic system that is intrinsically rigged for the few. Today, just one percent of the world’s population holds nearly 50% of global wealth—a stark indictment of capitalism’s moral failings, and a profound rejection of justice.

Dick and Lillian Gregory are being honored here today on the International Day of Peace, not just because they walked their talk, but for shaping our conscience toward justice, peace, and human dignity.

As a comedian and activist, Dick Gregory wielded humor to expose injustice in ways uncharted. He endured arrests and hunger strikes, running, not just walking, across America to highlight world hunger and to generate support and donations for anti-war and anti-poverty programs, understanding war and poverty are inextricably, linked.

Together, Dick and Lillian Gregory organized voter registration drives, marched for freedom, and faced jail. Dick’s vision went beyond civil rights in the U.S.—fighting against apartheid in South Africa, war, sexism, animal cruelty, and public health neglect, worldwide. Understanding the intersectionality of human rights and animal rights, Dick embraced and promoted a dietary philosophy of nonviolence, as taught by Gandhi.  He was vegan before the word even existed.

And Lillian Gregory’s resolve made their legacy a beacon of hope, and kept their family nurtured and cared for.  And that she refused to accept leniency and early release from jail, while five months pregnant with twins during a voting rights protest in Selma, Alabama, in 1963, offers testimony to her integrity, and fierce spirit.

If Dick were alive today, we would be watching him weave satire to express outrage over the fascist authoritarian regime that is undermining the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

If alive today, he would no doubt be behind bars in Washington, D.C., for voicing his opposition to the newest form of oppression and authoritarianism, the rise of the billionaire class, the oligarchs who play us like pawns on the chessboard of oppression.

And no doubt Dick Gregory would be standing up for those silenced. Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel—two brilliant comedians/satirists—have lost their platforms as networks, law firms, and universities cave and coddle to the demands of a dictator.

In this dark hour in American democracy, Dick Gregory would likely be on a hunger strike of all hunger strikes—bearing witness with his body to the intolerable oppressive forces now advancing from our nation’s capital.

And I can only imagine what he would say as the world watches genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. “What would Dick Gregory do?” is the question we should all ask ourselves as we become aware of a reality that resembles our worst nightmare.

“What would Dick Gregory do?” rings in my ear as I find myself, along with others in this room as we face urgent issues that need the Gregorys’ fighting spirit: social and economic justice, affordable housing, healthcare, workers’ rights, and climate action.  Many from elsewhere seek a better life here, but face harsh treatment and deportation.  Some of us in this room have witnessed ICE raids on the streets of Plymouth and people detained and deported without due process.

Make no mistake about it: honoring the Gregorys today here in Plymouth—a city of peace—is a call to action: to fight for justice, to stand up against tyranny at home and abroad, to walk in their courageous footsteps.

May the legacy of Lillian and Dick Gregory live forevermore—a source of inspiration, a beacon of fearless courage of conscience.

I would like to conclude my remarks by sharing a familiar refrain, rewritten within our current dilemma:

– First they came for the late-night talk show hosts, and I did not speak out—because I’m not a comedian.

– Then they came for the universities, and I did not speak out—because I already graduated.

– Then they came for the radicals, and I did not speak out—because I didn’t consider myself radical.

– Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.

But this much is clear, Dick and Lillian Gregory will speak out for us if we listen closely, to what our hearts call us to do, which, if we are listening, is to do more, before it is too late.

And to the ten Gregory children we say this: your fierce commitment to your parents ideals inspires us all in this struggle against tyranny and fascism—this is a moral and political catastrophe of our own making.

We will stand strong against fascism in your parents name!  This we will do as a city of peace.

Viva Dick and Lillian Gregory: Forevermore.

• Tribute presented by Lewis M.Randa at the 1820 Courtroom, Town Hall, Plymouth, MA September 21, 2025.

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