Celebrating my 90th Birthday
By Grace Lee Boggs
Michigan Citizen, July 10-16, 2005
"So much to do, so many to woo and, oh, I am so very few"
E.Housman
A lot of people helped make my 90th birthday unforgettable.
The friends and comrades with whom Jimmy and I worked
in the 60s, 70s and 80s and a younger generation making waves
in Detroit Summer, Freedom Schooling and Disability Pride who
came together on June 25 in a one-day Retreat at the Reuther
Library to discuss "Hope, Change and Movement Building" in
the 21st century.
The more than 300 friends and comrades from the many
decades of my political life who attended the "Artists and
Activists for Revolution and Evolution" celebration in the
evening. They included former members of SNCC, RAM, CORE,
Mabel Williams, League Of Revolutionary Black Workers, Black
Panthers, Women's, Anti-Vietnam War, Central America Solidarity,
Peace Action, Asian American, Environmental Justice, Gray Panthers,
Disability Pride, NOAR, Save Our Sons & Daughters, WE-PROS,
Rosa Parks Institute, Detroit Summer, Freedom Schooling,
Bioneers.
It was a fun party. The short video of "Ossie Davis
Speaking in Detroit," compiled by Alvin Hill Jr., re-introduced
us to the stage, screen and TV actor with the impressive voice
and imposing presence who could also have been our uncle or
grandfather reminding us that we are all works in progress and
that we must change ourselves to change the world.
Donald Boggs, Ronnie LaLande, Rosa Naparstek, Clementine Barfield
and Alice Jennings told "inside" stories of their relationships
with me over the years. Elaine Steel brought words from Rosa Parks.
The poets, hip hop artists and performers - Gloria Aneb House,
Janice Fialka, Cassie Poe, William Copeland and Joe Reilly, Invincible
and Finale, kate hers, Oliver Pookrum, Sandra Hines and falah salaam
from the African Renaissance Theatre - gave us a sense of the creative
and Tran formative energies stirring in Detroit and the sounds and beat
that are driving today’s movement.
The Celebration’s supporters (who included Ruby Dee) and planning
committee (who made the whole day go so smoothly) deserve special kudos.
The planning team included Gaurav Bhatnagar, William Copeland, Alfred
DeFreece, Rich Feldman, Jihan Gaddis, Saba Gebrai, Alvin Hill Jr., Sonya
Hovsepian, Shea Howell,Ann Rall, Stephen Ward and Leonard Morgan.
During the week I received a coffee table size scrapbook, "To Grace
at 90 from your friends at YES," compiled by Fran Korten, Executive
Director of the Positive Futures Network. I have already spent hours
savoring the warm personal messages from the many wonderful individuals
that I’ve met at "State of the Possible² Retreats, poring over the
group pictures, re-reading the articles I¹ve written for the magazine,
and in every word and every face reliving the comradeship and positive
vibes that YES creates in its readers and writers.
Monday morning, June 27, my Water Aerobics classmates at the
Coleman Young Recreation Center gave me a birthday party with lovely
cards, generous gifts, delicious food, ice cream and a birthday cake
(with only two candles, a 9 and an 0, so that even a nonagenarian
could blow them out).
Monday evening, Alice Jennings, Carl Edwards, Judy Burkhardt and
I enjoyed our traditional, elegant birthday dinner.
Among the many birthday greetings I received was one from Fr.
Tom Lumpkin and Pat Kolon of Day House. It shows Charley Brown
intoning "On the occasion of your 90th birthday, here’s a scripture
blessing: May the Lord bless and keep you. May the Lord look upon
you kindly and give you peace." To which Snoopy replies, "That’s nice.
But what I’d really like is to be Able to keep having all my marbles."
Email GraceBoggs Center, |