Detroit Activist, Author Grace Lee Boggs Dies At Age 100
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) -- Grace Lee Boggs, known as an international activist for justice, has died at her Detroit home. She was 100.
President Barack Obama released a statement, saying Boggs learned "the world needed changing, and she overcame barriers to do just that."
Her death Monday was announced by the Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership.
Boggs and late husband James Boggs were involved in many causes, from civil rights to income equality. She helped organize a 1963 march in Detroit by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
The daughter of Chinese immigrants, Boggs was born in Rhode Island and grew up in New York City. She moved to Detroit in the 1950s to write for a socialist newspaper. A 2013 documentary, "American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs," aired on PBS.
In a statement, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said Boggs "made Detroit -- and the world -- a better place."
President Barack Obama released a statement, calling Boggs "passionate" and "remarkable."
"Michelle and I were saddened to hear of the passing of author, philosopher, and activist Grace Lee Boggs. Grace dedicated her life to serving and advocating for the rights of others – from her community activism in Detroit, to her leadership in the civil rights movement, to her ideas that challenged us all to lead meaningful lives. As the child of Chinese immigrants and as a woman, Grace learned early on that the world needed changing, and she overcame barriers to do just that.
She understood the power of community organizing at its core – the importance of bringing about change and getting people involved to shape their own destiny. Grace's passion for helping others, and her work to rejuvenate communities that had fallen on hard times spanned her remarkable 100 years of life, and will continue to inspire generations to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with Grace's family and friends, and all those who loved her dearly."
Boggs authored five books, the last of which was released in 2011.
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