CARBONDALE - The theater filled with laughs, gasps and awes Thursday afternoon as a man familiar with drawing such reactions was the first person inducted into the Varsity Center for the Arts Hall of Fame.

Dick Gregory was born and raised in St. Louis but he began making his name as a track star at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1952. Before a packed theater the renowned author, comedian and civil rights activist spoke for about 40 minutes in a talk peppered with the n-word, humor and some serious conversation about race and gender in America.

Before Gregory took to the microphone, officials with the Carbondale Community Arts and the Varsity Center for the Arts took time to reflect on the renovation of the theater, which reopened its doors last year.

Gregory's longtime friend, SIUC classmate and Carbondale resident Harvey Welch commended Gregory saying that "No one deserves this recognition more than Richard Claxton Gregory."

One by one, a string of speakers followed, each praising Gregory's career, which has now spanned five decades. A short film featuring a history of the Varsity, including the original news reel from the first film viewed in the theater, was also presented.

In the midst of the festivities, officials unveiled a painting in honor of Gregory completed by SIUC professor Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, who said of the painting, "I just did my thing."

The painting, which is now hanging in the Varsity lobby, is anchored by two portraits of Gregory, one a present-day representation, the other of him as a track star at SIUC with an image of the Varsity's marquee set in the middle.

Upon the unveiling, Gregory took a couple steps back on the stage and applauded in approval.

It was Gregory who used his popularity in town as an SIU track star to persuade the theater to allow blacks to sit outside the balcony area.

As expected Thursday, Gregory's talk drew the most reaction from the audience; sometimes shock, often applause and always with laughs never far behind.

And for each word chastising whites, blacks, men or women, he pointed to his own faults, at one point admitting that he "bought into the stereotypes about white people."

Later, he noted that he's been married for 50 years and when the audience began applauding he quickly tamped it down.

"Love has nothing to do with it," he said. "She said if I leave her, she'd hurt me."

Toward the end of his talk Gregory praised the city, its black community, the university and the theater for being the institutions "that changed my life."

"Thanks to all of the decent folks, who were decent when it wasn't popular to be right," he said.

The event kicked off a weekend of festivities for Gregory including tours and recognition at SIUC and being the grand marshal in this weekend's homecoming parade.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

618-351-5823

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