[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 10449-10450]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                 THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF GRACE LEE BOGGS

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                          HON. DEBBIE DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 24, 2015

  Mrs. DINGELL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mrs. Grace Lee 
Boggs who will celebrate her 100th birthday on June 27, 2015. As a 
Member of Congress it is both my privilege and honor to recognize Mrs. 
Boggs for her service and contributions to the cause of civil rights 
throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
  Born to Chinese immigrants in Providence, Rhode Island, Mrs. Boggs 
graduated from Barnard College in 1935 before going on to receive her 
Ph.D. in philosophy from Bryn Mawr College in 1940. Mrs. Boggs moved to 
Detroit in 1953 and immediately identified with issues facing the 
city's African American population.
  In an era known for the greatest civil rights advancements in our 
nation's history, Grace Lee Boggs became an indispensible ally. Her 
unique approach to the power struggle affecting minorities and women in 
the middle of the 20th century stood out as innovative even amongst the 
leading civil rights thinkers of the time. At the core of Mrs. Boggs 
understanding of social relations is the idea that small groups of 
people working together are the key to bringing about social change, as 
opposed to the idea that total revolution is the only option. Mrs. 
Boggs' belief in starting with localized change is one which all 
Americans can support, as our nation was founded on the idea of change 
coming from the bottom, rather than the top.
  Mrs. Boggs' legacy in Detroit has been enshrined in The James & Grace 
Lee Boggs School, the Boggs Center, and programs like the Detroit 
Summer, which brings members of all ages and backgrounds together to 
think creatively about the problems their communities face and 
fulfilling the dream of making positive change one small group at a 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Mrs. 
Boggs for her service to our community and her leadership in advancing 
the rights of all Americans. She has made an indelible mark on our 
nation for which we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude.

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