RIP: Grace Lee Boggs Gave the World the Courage to Change

Asian Americans joined African Americans, social and civil rights activists today in mourning the death of philosopher & activist Grace Lee Boggs.

The 100-year-old Boggs died peacefully in her sleep this morning in Detroit of natural causes, the James and Grace Lee Center to Nurture Community Leadership announced.

“Grace died as she lived surrounded by books, politics, people and ideas,” said Alice Jennings and Shea Howell, two of her Trustee at the center named after Grace and her late husband.

The hashtag #GraceLeeTaughtMe quickly trended on Twitter as word of her death spread.

Thank you #GraceLeeBoggs 4 inspiring us to think creatively, act ethically http://t.co/7FxtSeMKhE #GraceLeeTaughtMe pic.twitter.com/tSjLvAww7V

— Ellen Wu (@ellendwu) October 5, 2015

#GraceLeeTaughtMe the importance of building coalitions and more importantly, powerful relationships. — 18millionrising (@18millionrising) October 5, 2015

#GraceLeeTaughtMe that we must link Love and Revolution to make both incremental & monumental changes http://t.co/gd887z52tB #GraceLeeBoggs

— Deepa Iyer (@dviyer) October 5, 2015

#GraceLeeTaughtMe To be a spitfire. To stand up for all who are oppressed. To be the first to fight. To use design in activism. — Designers 4 Justice (@Design_Justice) October 5, 2015

Boggs helped to organize the 1963 march down Woodward Avenue in Detroit with Martin Luther King Jr. It would be the first time King uttered his immortal words, “I have a dream.” This took place two months before the historic march on Washington.

Thirty years earlier, Boggs became active in social justice movements working with A. Phillip Randolph’s first march on Washington and later C.L.R. James.

She worked 40 years with her husband James Boggs and advanced ideas of revolution for the 20th and 21st century

She became widely known in the Asian American community when filmmaker Grace Lee produced the Peabody Award winning film, American Revolutionary, The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs in 2013.

In Grace’s honor, PBS is making the film available on its website for free until November 3.

I had the opportunity to hear Bogg’s speak in 2013 at the V3 Conference in Los Angeles. The then 98-year-old Boggs was soft spoken, deliberate, but powerful in her message of social change and call to take the future in our hands.

#GraceLeeBoggsTaughtMe you can never be too tired to fight for justice and change.

RIP, Grace Lee Boggs and thank you for all you did and all you taught us.