Grace Lee Boggs: Partners In Struggle

Summary

Summary of "Grace Lee Boggs: Partners In Struggle" Episode of The Moth Podcast

Introduction

In the episode titled "Grace Lee Boggs: Partners In Struggle," released on December 30, 2014, The Moth presents an inspiring narrative from Grace Lee Boggs, a renowned philosopher and activist. Hosted by Dan Kennedy, the episode delves into Boggs' life journey, her commitment to social movements, and her enduring legacy in the fight for justice and equality.

Early Life and Cultural Heritage

Grace Lee Boggs begins her story by reflecting on her upbringing and the cultural challenges she faced. Born in 1915 to Chinese immigrant parents, she shares the hardships of growing up in an environment steeped in traditional expectations. At [03:40], she recounts:

“When I cried, the Chinese waitress used to say, 'Leave her on the hillside to die. She's only a girl, baby.'”

This poignant memory underscores the gender biases she encountered early on, shaping her resolve to challenge societal norms.

Education and Academic Pursuits

Determined to transcend the limitations imposed on her, Boggs pursued higher education. By [04:50], she proudly states:

“I had gotten a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1940.”

Despite the era's prevalent discrimination, exemplified by her struggle to secure employment due to her Asian heritage, Boggs remained steadfast in her academic and activist pursuits.

Connection to the Black Civil Rights Movement

Boggs' narrative takes a significant turn when she discusses her involvement with the Black Civil Rights Movement. At [05:30], she describes her inspiration drawn from A. Philip Randolph's efforts:

“If a movement can achieve that, that's what my life is going to be like. I'm going to join the movement.”

Her collaboration with CLR James in New York to publish the newsletter Correspondence highlights her deep commitment to fighting racial injustice and advocating for equal opportunities.

Marriage and Partnership

A pivotal moment in Boggs' life is her marriage to Jimmy Boggs, an African American auto worker. She shares their unique bond formed through shared struggles and political activism. At [07:15], she reflects:

“He was not only physically attractive, but very politically attractive.”

Their partnership spanned four decades, marked by joint efforts in community organizing and social reform, embodying the essence of being "partners in struggle."

Vision for Social Change and Detroit's Future

In her closing remarks at [10:45], Boggs emphasizes the potential for transformative change amid crisis:

“The crisis we're in is really an opportunity. We can change the way it is and the devastation that is Detroit's deindustrialization. There is opportunity to create a new society, and that's what we're doing here in Detroit.”

Her optimistic vision underscores her belief in grassroots movements' power to rebuild communities and foster equitable societies.

Legacy and Impact

Following Boggs' narrative, Dan Kennedy provides a succinct overview of her lifelong dedication to various social movements, including labor rights, civil rights, black power, women's rights, environmental justice, and community building. Her most recent work, The Next American Revolution, encapsulates her enduring commitment to activism and societal transformation.

Conclusion

"Grace Lee Boggs: Partners In Struggle" offers a profound glimpse into the life of a formidable thinker and activist. Through her articulate storytelling, Boggs inspires listeners to recognize the power of collective action and the enduring possibility of societal change. Her legacy serves as a beacon for future generations striving to create a more just and equitable world.

Notable Quotes

• On Early Challenges:
  “When I cried, the Chinese waitress used to say, 'Leave her on the hillside to die. She's only a girl, baby.'” ([03:40])

• On Joining the Movement:
  “If a movement can achieve that, that's what my life is going to be like. I'm going to join the movement.” ([05:30])

• On Partnership:
  “He was not only physically attractive, but very politically attractive.” ([07:15])

• On Opportunity in Crisis:
  “The crisis we're in is really an opportunity. We can change the way it is and the devastation that is Detroit's deindustrialization. There is opportunity to create a new society, and that's what we're doing here in Detroit.” ([10:45])

Final Thoughts

Grace Lee Boggs' story is a testament to resilience, intellectual rigor, and unwavering commitment to social justice. Her life's work continues to inspire and guide activists and thinkers aiming to address the complex challenges of today's world.

Transcript

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[Audible]

This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com, the Internet's leading provider of audiobooks with more than 150,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature. For the Moth listeners, Audible is offering a free audiobook to give you a chance to try out their service. You may like listening to a special audiobook edition of Neil Patrick Harris choose youe Own Autobiography, written and read by Neil Patrick Harris, which includes a bonus audio feature. To try Audible Free today and to get a free audiobook of your choice, go to audible.comthemoth that's audible.comthemoth welcome to the Moth podcast.

[Dan Kennedy]

I'm Dan Kennedy. The story you're about to hear is from Grace Lee Boggs, who was born to Chinese immigrant parents in 1915. She joined us in 2012 in Detroit, Michigan for a mainstage show. The theme of the evening was Walk the Line. Here's Grace Lee Boggs.

[Grace Lee Boggs]

Hello, everybody. As you can see, I am a very old woman. What you can't see is that I was born 97 years ago above my father's Chinese restaurant. And because I was female, I learned very early that changes are necessary in this world. Because when I cried, the Chinese waitress used to say, leave her on the hillside to die. She's only a girl, baby. What you also don't see is that about 60 years ago, a very relatively young and fairly attractive woman, I married Jimmy Boggs, an African American auto worker who was born and raised in the little town of Marion Junction, Alabama, in which there were more pigs than people. When people asked Jimmy how we got together, he would smile broadly and say, grace got me. I'll tell you how that happened. I had never thought of getting married. In fact, I had rejected the idea of getting married because when I was a teenager, I read this book by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in which she said that people who get married are like the little girl who sits on her father's lap and tickles him under the chin in order to get a new doll or a new dress. The book that I read was not illustrated, but that image stuck in my mind, and I wasn't going to grow up to be that little girl. But something happened to me in the year 1941. I had gotten a Ph.D. in philosophy in 1940, and I was working part time at the philosophy library of the University of Chicago for $10 a week, because on those days even department stores would come right out and say, we don't hire Orientals now. $10 was not very much money, so I felt very lucky when a little Jewish woman near the university told me I could live in her basement rent free. The only obstacle was that I had to face down a barricade of rats in order to get them to the basement. And that made me very rat conscious. The other people who were rat conscious in Chicago were black people. So that gave me a connection to black people and also gave me a connection to the Martin Washington movement, which was organized by A. Philip Randolph to demand jobs for blacks in the defense plants because the Depression had ended for white workers, but not for blacks and Adoles. Randolph began organizing blacks all over the country to march on Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt, and even Mrs. Roosevelt begged him to call off the march because Roosevelt was planning the war against Hitler in Europe, and it would have been an embarrassment to him to have all blacks marching out of Washington. But Randolph refused to call off the march. So Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, banning discrimination in defense plans. And I thought that was wonderful. I said, if a movement can achieve that, that's what my life is going to be like. I'm going to join the movement. So I became a radical, and I worked with CLR James in New York, and we decided to publish a little newsletter called Correspondence. And I came to Detroit to work on correspondence, and Jimmy Boz was working on correspondence. He was very hard to get when I bought myself a 1938 Plymouth for $100. And I would drive him to meetings or some meetings, and he would get as close to the passenger door as. But one night I invited him to dinner, and he said he'd come, but he came late, and he turned down his nose at the lamb chops that I cooked. The lamb of God, he said. Anyway, one thing led to another, and in the course of the evening, he asked me to marry him. And I said yes, because he was not only physically attractive, but very politically attractive. He was a fantastic writer because in Marion Junction, at eight years old, he was the scribe for his mainly illiterate community. And he could write like crazy. I mean, he would sit in a meeting, by the end of the meeting, he'd have a leaflet all written. So we got married, and we were partners in struggle for 40 years. He died about 20 years ago, but he would be having a wonderful time today because the situation is so critical in our country. It's such a wonderful time to be alive because we can create solutions. He was a solutionary. He could do visionary organizing. He could propose things that people really wanted to do but didn't know they could do until someone told them they could do it. And that's the sort of thing we need today, visionary organizers. Because the crisis we're in is really an opportunity. We can change the way it is and the devastation that is Detroit's deindustrialization. There is opportunity to create a new society, and that's what we're doing here in Detroit. Thank you.

[Dan Kennedy]

Grace Lee Boggs is a philosopher who, through her activism, has been a part of every major social movement in the US for the past 70 years, from labor to civil rights, black power and women's rights to environmental justice and community building. Her most recent book is titled the Next American Revolution.

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[Dan Kennedy]

To audible.com themoth okay, now some very exciting news for storytellers in South Florida. We are launching a Moth Story Slam in Miami on January 14th. Check the site themoth.org for tickets and details.

[Audible]

Our podcast host, Dan Kennedy is a writer and performer living in New York and author of the new novel American Spirit. Available now.

[Dan Kennedy]

Thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast Audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. The Moth Podcast and the Radio Hour are presented by prx, the Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more [e-mail].