Nigger: An Autobiography by Dick Gregory is an autobiography by comedian and social activist Dick Gregory

Dick Gregory

Richard Claxton "Dick" Gregory is an American comedian, social activist, social critic, writer, and entrepreneur....

, published in 1964 by E.P. Dutton, and reprinted by Pocket Books

Pocket Books

Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...

 from 1965 to present. The book was co-authored by Robert Lipsyte

Robert Lipsyte

Robert Lipsyte is an American sports journalist and author. Lipsyte is a member of the Board of Contributors for USA Todays Forum Page, part of the newspaper’s Opinion section.-Personal background:...

. It has had numerous reprints, is still in print today, and has sold well over 1 million copies.

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 maternal ancestors,

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; him and his brother (1942); his mother, Lucille; Gregory as a drummer at Southern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...

 (1953); as an SIU sprinter and Outstanding Athlete of the Year (1953); with coach Leland Lingle (1954); with Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Samuel George "Sammy" Davis Jr. was an American entertainer and was also known for his impersonations of actors and other celebrities....

 at Roberts Show Club

Chitlin' circuit

The "Chitlin' Circuit" was the collective name given to the string of performance venues throughout the eastern and southern United States that were safe and acceptable for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform during the age of racial segregation in the United...

, Chicago (1959); in a jail cell in Chicago; performing at the Hungry i

Hungry i

The hungry i was originally a nightclub in North Beach, San Francisco. It was launched by Eric "Big Daddy" Nord, who sold it to Enrico Banducci in 1950.-The name:How the club's name came about is something of a mystery...

, San Francisco (1963, shortly before the murder of Medgar Evars); at a voter registration rally, Greenwood, Mississippi

Greenwood, Mississippi

Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Leflore County, Mississippi, United States, located at the eastern edge of the Mississippi Delta approximately 96 miles north of Jackson, Mississippi, and 130 miles south of Memphis, Tennessee. The population was 15,205 at the 2010 census. It is the...

 (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 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.