Boggs Grace Lee - In love and struggle: the revolutionary lives of James and Grace Lee Boggs

In Love and Struggle

Justice, Power, and Politics

Coeditors
Heather Ann Thompson
Rhonda Y. Williams

Editorial Advisory Board

Peniel E. Joseph

Matthew D. Lassiter

Daryl Maeda

Barbara Ransby

Vicki L. Ruiz

Marc Stein

The Justice, Power, and Politics series publishes new works in history that explore the myriad struggles for justice, battles for power, and shifts in politics that have shaped the United States over time. Through the lenses of justice, power, and politics, the series seeks to broaden scholarly debates about Americas past as well as to inform public discussions about its future.

More information on the series, including a complete list of books published, is available at http://justicepowerandpolitics.com/.

In Love and Struggle

The Revolutionary Lives of James and Grace Lee Boggs

Stephen M. Ward

The University of North Carolina Press

Chapel Hill

2016 The University of North Carolina Press

All rights reserved

Set in Calluna by Westchester Publishing Services

Manufactured in the United States of America

The University of North Carolina Press has been a member of the Green Press Initiative since 2003.

Jacket photograph: James and Grace Lee Boggs.

Courtesy of the photographer, Kenneth Snodgrass.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Ward, Stephen M., 1970- author.

Title: In love and struggle : the revolutionary lives of James and Grace Lee Boggs / Stephen M. Ward.

Other titles: Justice, power, and politics.

Description: Chapel Hill : University of North Carolina Press, [2016] | Series: Justice, power, and politics | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015041272| ISBN 9780807835203 (cloth : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781469617701 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Boggs, James. | Boggs, Grace Lee. | African American political activistsMichiganDetroitBiography. | African American radicalsMichiganDetroitBiography. | Chinese American womenMichiganDetroitBiography. | Political activistsMichiganDetroitBiography. | Civil rights workersMichiganDetroitBiography. | Black powerUnited StatesHistory20th century. | SocialismUnited StatesHistory20th century.

Classification: LCC F574.D49 A276 2016 | DDC 323.092/2dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015041272

For Mom, Sekai, and Chaney

Always

Contents

Acknowledgments

My life has been enriched through studying the ideas, activism, and partnership of James and Grace Lee Boggs. Of the many things I gained, one of the most important is a deeper respect and greater appreciation for the importance of community, the connections we have to each other, and the relationships that sustain us. One occasion stands out as my favorite illustration of this importance. In 1990, as James Boggs faced an uncertain future in his battle with cancer, fellow activists and friends of James and Grace Lee Boggs held a community celebration to honor the couple. After several people spoke in tribute and appreciation for the Boggses decades of activism and mentorship, James Boggs delivered a moving speech thanking the assembled comrades but asking them not to lose sight of the larger community of which they all were a part. I want to thank you for bringing us together in this kind of setting, because I think in this kind of setting we cannot just celebrate Grace and I, he insisted. Let me tell you something, Grace and I in ourselves is nobody. It is only in relationship to other bodies and many somebodies that anybody is somebody. Let me tell you that. Dont get it in your cotton-picking mind that you are somebody in yourself. In that spirit, I offer these acknowledgements in sincere recognition of the many somebodies who have made me somebody and who have been part of the journey that produced this book.

Pride of place goes to my wife Sekai, and our beloved son Chaney, the two somebodies who are most responsible for making me feel like somebody. Sekai and Chaney travelled the journey of this book with me daily, and their love sustained me. Sekai and I started building our life together shortly before I began writing this book, and I cannot image completing this work without her love, companionship, and support. I have been working on this book Chaneys entire life, but I wont make any easy comparisons or use ready metaphors about the timing and intertwining of his young life and this book. As I think he knows, Chaney has a place all his own in my mind and in my heart. Together, Sekai and Chaney are my light and my joy, and I love them dearly. While it is only in these opening pages that their names appear, Sekai and Chaney have touched every page of this book.

My mother, Cheryl Ward, has also placed her distinctive mark on these pages. Her impact on me is so strong that it could not be otherwise. From my first days to the journey that produced this book, she has been the most consistent, and consistently loving presence in my life. Her generous and radiant spirit was a hallmark of my childhood, and she remains the most influential person in my life. These days she is known by several names and titlesamong them Abuela, Buels, Ba, and Rev. Cherylreflecting the many lives she continues to touch. For me and my siblings, and now for my son and his cousins, my mother is our familys beacon of love. I thank her for everything, including for being my model of a loving and grounded human being.

My father, the late Michael Harold Ward, made his imprint on me, and by extension this book, well before I thought of writing it. From my earliest memory, he was there guiding, teaching, and inspiring. He taught me the joy of learning and made sure I was ready to say something intelligent at the dinner table. He also taught me the value of saying I love you everyday. In his last years, my fathers wisdom and visionand when I speak of my father here, I of course include his loving wife Tigi, for they were a beautiful teamhelped me to grow in unexpected ways. My father passed away while I was writing this book. I carry his love and the enduring presence of his great intellect with me.

I want to also honor the other family members who set my foundation. This begins with the memory of my Grandmothers: June Ellen Springs Ward, Mary Howe Granberry, and June Fisher White. Though they were not here when I started writing this book, their love and labor made this work possible by instilling in me a sense of justice and a respect for knowledge. I recognize that they did a great deal for memore, in fact, than I can ever knowwhile radiating love and faith in the future. Elijah Glenn Ward Sr. (Tio) and Adelaide Ward, are beloved elders, and they, along with my cousins, spread love through the family. Uncle Doug keeps my Dads memory alive in word and deed, always reminding me of the pride and love that has flowed from generation to generation.

The other members of my family have also shared in the broader journey of writing this book. My brothers and sistersGeoff, Toussaint, Tamiyah, Caryn, and Nisahave been a constant source of support and encouragement. I want to thank Caryn in particular for her beautiful and uplifting spirit. She has inspired me over the years, teaching me to recognize and appreciate daytime in the nighttime. Geoff also deserves special mention. While he is my younger brother, he seems more like the big brother, and not only because he is taller than me. Growing up I marveled at how smart he was, and I have consistently learned from him. He is now making his mark as a scholar, and I am both proud of and inspired by his scholarship. My homeboys Desi Bryant and Damon Woodruff (Dez and Dub) can also be included as family. They may not pay much attention to the content of this book, but they are a significant part of the context in which it was written. They help me stay connected to the place that I still call home, even though I have now lived elsewhere for many years, and we are far removed from our days on Condon, Garth, and Sherbourne. Our friendship, along with the other homies Ramon Evans, Will Alexander, Dion Evans, and Toby Ferguson, has helped sustain me. No matter what may come, we will remain tight, like J. J., Papo, Cool Breeze, and Head.