Grace Lee Boggs

Date of Birth: June 27, 1915

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Date of Death: October 5, 2015

Biography

Grace Lee Boggs was an influential American author, social activist, philosopher, and feminist. Born on June 27, 1915, in Providence, Rhode Island, she dedicated her life to the struggle for civil rights, labor rights, and social justice. Boggs earned her Ph.D. in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College in 1940, during which she developed a deeper understanding of Marxist theory and began to engage with radical political movements. Throughout her career, Boggs worked alongside many notable activists, including C.L.R. James and Raya Dunayevskaya. She later moved to Detroit, where she met and married James Boggs, a prominent African American activist and auto worker. Together, they formed a formidable partnership, advocating for revolutionary change and community empowerment. Grace Lee Boggs authored several books, including “Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century” (co-authored with James Boggs) and “The Next American Revolution: Sustainable Activism for the Twenty-First Century.” Her writings and activism emphasized the importance of grassroots movements and the need for constant reevaluation and evolution of revolutionary strategies.

5 Interesting Facts about Grace Lee Boggs

1. Grace Lee Boggs was awarded the James Boggs and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership was established in her and her husband’s honor.

2. She lived to be 100 years old, witnessing and contributing to significant social and political changes over a century.

3. Boggs was a key figure in the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, particularly in Detroit.

4. She was involved in founding Detroit Summer, a multicultural, intergenerational youth program to rebuild and renew Detroit.

5. Grace Lee Boggs appeared in the 2013 documentary “American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs,” directed by Grace Lee (no relation).

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Grace Lee Boggs

1. “We can begin by doing small things at the local level, like planting community gardens or looking out for our neighbors.”

2. “Revolution is not an event, but a process.”

3. “We urgently need to bring to our communities the limitless capacity to love, serve, and create for and with each other.”

4. “Creativity is the key to human liberation.”

5. “We are the leaders we’ve been looking for.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Grace Lee Boggs was not focused on personal wealth accumulation; her net worth was relatively modest, as her life’s work centered around activism and community betterment rather than financial gain.