HTML-Encoded Finding Aid
Title: James & Grace Lee Boggs Collection Genre: Papers Dates: 1950-1993 Size: 21 linear feet ID#: 1342 [Combines 2 Finding Aids] OCLC: Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor & Urban Affairs |
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The papers of James and Grace Lee Boggs were placed in the Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs in 1987 by James and Grace Lee Boggs and were opened for research in January of 1993. Additional material was received in November of 1993 and January of 1994 and opened for research as Part 2 in August of 1994.
James and Grace Lee Boggs were revolutionary socialists who played a leading role in organizing radical organizations in Detroit and nationally as well as theorizing and updating the political philosophy of Marxism-Leninism. James Boggs was also a career auto worker employed at the Chrysler Corporation from 1940 to 1968. Mr. Boggs authored a number of books, including The American Revolution: Pages From a Negro Worker’s Notebook, Racism and the Class Struggle: Further Pages From a Black Worker’s Notebook, Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century and Conversations in Maine. He died on July 22, 1993.
Grace Lee Boggs, who received a Ph.D. from Bryn Mawr College in 1940, co-authored Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century and Conversations in Maine with her husband. Dr. Boggs was also employed by the city of Detroit as a teacher for many years. The Boggses also contributed to the founding of the National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR) from 1979-1981 and were primary theorists and organizers for NOAR from 1979-1987. During the 1970's and 1980's the Boggses spent much of their time lecturing to university audiences, community organizations and revolutionary and radical groups nationwide.
The papers of James and Grace Lee Boggs, much of it relating to their publications and speaking engagements, reflect their involvement with radical political ideas and groups as well as their community activism in Detroit's neighborhoods.
African-American Church
African-Americans--Michigan--Detroit
Community Development--Michigan--Detroit
Community Organizations--Michigan--Detroit
Crime--Michigan--Detroit
Educational Reform
Environmental Protectionism
Inner City Organizing Committee
Radicalism--United States
Michigan Committee for Organizing the Unemployed
National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR)
Native Americans
People's Republic of China
Racism
Religion and Marxism
Save Our Sons and Daughters
Unemployment--Michigan
Urban Development
Paul Buhle
James Chaffers
C. L. R. James
Ossie Davis
Ruby Dee
W. H. and Carol Ferry
Todd Gitlin
Kathleen Gough
Julia Herre
Frances Herring
Alice Mary Hilton
Robert Mendoza
Wyndham Mortimer
Kwame Nkrumah
Lyman and Frances Paine
Bertrand Russell
Luis Tsen
A few photographs and cassette tapes have been placed in the Archives Audiovisual Collection
Frances D. and G. Lyman Paine Collection
Martin & Jessie Glaberman Collection, Part 2
Grace Lee Boggs oral history
James & Grace Lee Boggs Center: www.boggscenter.org
Part 1: Boxes 1-6
6 manuscript boxes
3 linear feet
1962-1987
Series I, James Boggs, 1962-1987, Boxes 1-4: Folder 15
Correspondence of James and Grace Lee Boggs, 1962-1986, and speeches by James Boggs, 1963-1987, covering a wide variety of topics including black workers, automation, unemployed, revolutionary activities and theories. Files are arranged alphabetically.[Box1] [Box2] [Box3]
Series II, Grace Lee Boggs, 1965-1985, Boxes 4: Folder 16-6
Documents from a variety of revolutionary organizations and radical study groups including the National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR), Asian Political Alliance (APA) revolutionary study group, Detroit Circle, and the Michigan Committee for Organizing the Unemployed (M-COU). Also includes drafts of speeches given by Grace Lee Boggs, 1969-1985, and miscellaneous reports and documents concerning educational reform and urban development. Files are arranged alphabetically.[Box4][Box5] [Box6]
Part 2: Boxes 7-24
18 storage boxes
18 linear feet
1950-1993
Contents[Part 1 only: Boxes 1-6—Go To Alphabetic Index for Boxes 7-24] |
[Box1] [Box2] [Box3] [Box4] [Box5] [Box6] |
Part 1
James Boggs, 1962-1967
Correspondence of James and Grace Lee Boggs, 1962-1986. Speeches by James Boggs, 1963-1987, covering a wide variety of topics including black workers, automation, unemployed, revolutionary activities and theories. Files are arranged alphabetically.
1. American Revolution: Pages From a Negro Worker’s Notebook; introduction to the Italian edition, 1968
2. American Revolution; misc. notes
3. American Revolution; rough draft, chapters 2-3
4. American Revolution; rough draft, portions of chapters 4, 5, and 9
5. American Revolution; rough draft, portions of chapters 7, 9, and conclusion
6. American Revolution; rough outline
7. Biographical and bibliographical information on James Boggs
8. Blacks in the labor movement, notes and speeches, 1960s
9. Book reviews by James Boggs; of Stanley Aronowitz’s False Promises: The Shaping of the American Working-Class, correspondence concerning the review, and Boggs’ review of Frantz Fanon’s The Wretched of the Earth, 1972, 1975
10. Book reviews and press releases for James and Grace Lee Boggs’ Conversations in Maine: Exploring our Nation’s Future, 1978-80
11. Book reviews of James Boggs’ Racism and the Class Struggle: Further Pages of a Black Worker’s Notebook, 1970-71
12. Book reviews of James and Grace Lee Boggs’ Revolution and Evolution in the Twentieth Century, 1974-80
13. Book review s of James Boggs’ The American Revolution, 1964, and But What About the Worker, 1972
14. Correspondence; American Orthophyschiatric Association, 1964
15. Correspondence; Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, 1962-65
16. Correspondence; Columbia University Radio Station, WCBS-TV, 1968
17. Correspondence; Alice Mary Hilton, 1963
18. Correspondence; Monthly Review Press, 1962-65
19. Correspondence; Revolution (French journal), 1963-64
20. Correspondence; Bertrand Russell, 1963
21. Correspondence and newsletters; Technocracy, Inc., 1963-64
22. Correspondence, 1962-63
1. Correspondence, 1964
2. Correspondence, 1965-66
3. Correspondence, 1967
4. Correspondence, Jan-May 1968
5. Correspondence, Jun-Dec 1968
6. Correspondence, 1969
7. Correspondence, 1970
8. Correspondence, 1971
9. Correspondence, 1972
10. Correspondence, 1973
11. Correspondence, 1974
12. Correspondence, 1975
1. Correspondence, 1976-78
2. Correspondence, 1979-86
3. Lecture notes from misc. college course lectures, 1974 and 1976
4. Libri Nuovi, article in Spanish and English, Sep 1968
5. James McFadden speeches on the revolution, 1979
6. Malcolm X Black Hand Society pamphlet and award given to James Boggs, 1969
7. National Black Economic Development Conference (NBEDC); program,
study guides and other material from the NBEDC, Apr 25-27, 1969
8. Newspaper articles written by James and/or Grace Lee Boggs, 1970s
9. Newspaper clippings about or referring to James and/or Grace Lee Boggs, 1964-1984
10. Notes on building a revolutionary organization, 1969-1973
11. Publications; Correspondence, Muhammed Speaks, and Epoca, 1963
12. Speaking engagements, pamphlets and programs announcing talks given by James and/or Grace Lee Boggs, 1960's-1980's
13. Speeches by James Boggs on Cybernation and its effects on workers and employment patterns, 1964-65
14. Speeches by James Boggs on the Black Power Movement, 1965-70
15. Speeches by James Boggs; “Blacks in the Cities: Agenda for the 70s,” 1972
16. Speeches by James Boggs; “Beyond Militancy: Blacks in Auto,” “Think Dialectically, Not Biologically,” “Correcting Mistaken Ideas About the Third World,” “New and More Challenging Predictions,” and “Correcting Mistaken Ideas About the Revolution,” 1974
17. Speeches by James and Grace Lee Boggs; “State’s Rights,” panel, Mar 25, 1965
18. Speeches by James Boggs; “Struggle to Win Not Just Survive,” 1972
19. Speeches by James Boggs; “The Basic Issues and the State of the Nation,” 1967
20. Speeches by James Boggs; “Town Hall,” Nov 1963
1-2. Speeches by James Boggs; “A New Philosophy for our New Contradictions,” “Our American Reality;” “Two World Outlooks,” “Thoughts on the Future,” “From Classical Political Economy to Marx-and Beyond,” “Citizen, Not Subjects: Individuality, Not Individualism,” “On Contradictions and the American
Revolution,” “The Main Contradiction,” “Their Struggle and Ours” and “Position Paper on Busing,” 1975
3. Speeches by James Boggs; “Class Consciousness and Revolution,” “Racism and the Class Struggle,” “Notes on American Politics” and “Why is the First American Revolution Important to Us Today?,” 1976
4. Speeches by James Boggs; “The Next Development in Education” and “Beyond Malcolm X,” 1977
5. Speeches by James Boggs; “Liberation? or Revolution?” and “On Becoming a Whole Person,” 1978
6. Speeches by James Boggs; “Using My Experience to Help Make the American Revolution,” “The Need for Struggle and Revolution” and “Where Do We Go From Here? Vision of a New Society in America,” 1979
7-8. Speeches by James Boggs; “New Politics for Our New Age of Responsibility,” “How We Must Think of God to Get Rid of Our Slave Mentality,” “The Crises of Legitimacy,” “What Does the African-American Experience Teach Us About Democracy and Equality?, “What Type of Society Do We Want?," “Struggle in Muskegon County, 1960- 1980,” “From Racism to Counter-Revolution,” “Towards New Political Structures” and “looking Forward to the 1980's,” 1980
9. Speeches by James Boggs; “Creating a Revolutionary Movement in the 80’s,” “Getting a Firmer Grasp of Our Reality,“ “From Rights To Power” and “Our Disappearing Economy,” 1982
10. Speeches by James Boggs; Building the Unemployed Movement,” “Voting is Not Enough,” “Principled Economics: An Idea Whose Time Has Come” and “It’s Time: A Call For Black Leadership,”1983
11. Speeches by James Boggs; “The Struggle For Black Revolutionary Leadership,” 1984
12. Speeches by James Boggs, “After the Reagan Landslide: What Now For Blacks?” “Urban Development and Social Justice,” “Legacy of African-American Leadership,” “There’s No Such Thing as a Good Fascist” and “Return to the Source,” 1985
13. Speeches by James Boggs; “Going Places We Have Never Been: A Vision for Detroit,” “A Question of Home Industry” and “Creating New Communities For Our Future,” 1986
14. Speeches by James Boggs; “Community Building: An Idea Whose Time Has Come,” 1987
15. “The Myth and Irrationality of Black Capitalism,” by James Boggs et al., [c. 1970]
16. Advocacy groups; pamphlets and flyers, 1973-80
17. Asian Political Alliance revolutionary study group, formation and group reports, philosophical and ideological statements, [c. 1971]
18. Biographical information on Grace Lee Boggs
19. China conference, Grace Lee Boggs’ reflections of her trip to, 1972
20. China; letter to James Boggs from Grace Lee Boggs during her fall, 1984 trip to China, 24 Sep 1984
21. City development; misc reports and notes, 1965-68
22. "Conversations in Maine"; transcript of taped discussion with 5 NOAR activists and organizers, including James and Grace Lee Boggs, Aug 25-28 1985
23. Detroit Circle (study group); notes and resolutions from Central Committee, 1971-72
1. Detroit Circle report; “Dialectical Materialism/Dialectical Humanism,” [c. 1972]
2. Detroit Circle report; “The Detroit Split, The Struggle Between Two Lines,” [c. 1976]
3. Detroit Circle report; “Turning Point in Our Organization,” [c. 1979]
4. Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement (DRUM); articles for DRUM written by Edward Lee (Grace Lee Boggs’ brother), [c. 1968]
6. Healthcare; misc notes from Grace Lee Boggs, Jul 1969
7. Inner City Organizing Committee (ICOC); program on education, paper on Detroit police, and constitution of ICOC, 1966
8. ICOC policy statements on educational reform, clippings on educational problems, and notes from ICOC meeting, 1968-69
9. Institute of the Black World newsletters, 1974 and 1979
10. C.L.R. James; writing and speech on C.L.R. James, 1981 and 1986
11. Michigan Committee for Organizing the Unemployed (M-COU); statements of goals, principles and instructions on how to build M-COU, [c. 1982]
12. M-COU flyers announcing demonstrations, marches and boycotts, 1983
13. National Organization for an American Revolution (NOAR); branch chapter flyers announcing talks and meetings, [c. 1980-83]
14. NOAR; cadre training lectures, 1982
15. NOAR; Central Committee theoretical discussions, 1982
16. NOAR; Detroit chapter flyers, 1980-81
17. NOAR; Detroit chapter newsletter, The Awakening, 1983-86
18. NOAR; National Central Committee newsletter, News and Views,
1981-82
19. NOAR; organizational meeting lectures, 1964-76
20. NOAR; organizational meeting lectures, 1977-79
21. NOAR; public forum and meeting lectures, 1980
1. NOAR; public forum and meeting lectures, 1981
2. NOAR; public forum and meeting lectures, 1982
3. NOAR; reports to convention, 1983-84
4. Notes for discussion; “What Does Confidence in the Masses Mean in the U.S.A." (6 part series), Dec 1971-Feb 1972
5. Notes on discussion on revolutions in the U.S.A., 1972
6. Reports on Grace Lee Boggs’ trip to West Coast, 1985
7. Revolutionary study group position papers and presentations, 1969
8. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Language of the Sixties, 1969”
9. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “The Calley Crises, Danger and Opportunity,” 1970
10. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Educational Myth and Changing Social Reality,” “Family Keys to Creating New Human Relationships,” “The American Revolution and the Evolution of Mankind” and “The Black Revolutionary in America,” 1970-72
11. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “The Search For Human identity in America” and “Ethics, Politics, and Economics,” 1974
12. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “The Changing Self-Concept of the American People,” “Bringing Up Children in America,” and “Disengagement,” 1975
13. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Education To Build a New America,” 1976
14-15. Speeches by Grace Lee Boogs; “Alternative Vision of Socialism,” "Being American," "The Challenge of Self-Government," “Shaping Our Educational Future” and “How Do We Give People a Vision of Their Power?,” 1977
16. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Challenge of Being a Women in Today’s America,” “The Challenge of Being a Revolutionary in Today’s America,” and “Becoming Part of the Solution,” 1978
17. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs, “Looking Forward to the 1980s and 1990s,” “Where Do We Go From Here?” and “What Kind of Leadership Do We Need in the 1980s?,” 1979
18. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Principled Politics: An Idea Whose Time Has Come,” “New Politics For Our New Age of Responsibility,” and “Are Presidential Elections the Answer?,” 1980
19. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “We Didn’t Start Yesterday,” and “The Future: Politics as Ends and as Means,” 1981
20. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Where is Our Moral Outrage?” “Nuclear Weapons: The Ultimate Expression of Capitalist Destruction,” and “Where Is Evolution Going,” 1982
21-22. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “Anti-Communist Attacks on Christian Social Action,” Anti-Communism and Christians,” “Building the Revolutionary Movement,” and “Beyond Imperialism," “Creating New Communities for Our Future” “Developing Revolutionary Theoreticians” and “Qualities Needed for Leadership,” 1983
23. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “How Should the Christian Church Respond to the Revolution of Our Time?” and “Spiritual Leadership: What Is It? Who Gives It?," 1984
24. Speeches by Grace Lee Boggs; “I Must Love the Questions Themselves,” “A Crisis Is Both a Danger and an Opportunity,” “The Struggle Against Rising Fascism and Counter-Revolution,” What Will We Leave that Our Children Can See?” and “Visit to Maine,” 1985