To make a revolution, people must not only struggle against existing institutions. They must make a philosophical/ spiritual leap and become more 'human' human beings. In order to change/ transform the world, they must change/ transform themselves. Grace Lee Boggs More Quotes by Grace Lee Boggs More Quotes From Grace Lee Boggs I first understood the changes that were necessary in this world, because the waiters in the restaurant, when I cried, used to say, "Leave her on the hillside to die. She's only a girl baby." I think they said it somewhat as a joke, maybe not, but it made me understand that being born female in this world was very different from being born male. Grace Lee Boggs girl baby thinking How do we redefine education so that 30-50 percent of inner-city children do not drop out of school, thus ensuring that millions will end up in prison? Grace Lee Boggs cities children school A rebellion is something that is developing as an explosion coming out of the righteous grievances of a community of people. Grace Lee Boggs rebellion community people We're at a great transition point in terms of population, demographics, and what it means to be a human being. Grace Lee Boggs population transition mean It's really important that we get rid of the idea that protest will create change. We don't realize that that kind of organizing worked only when the government was very strong, when the West ruled the world, relatively speaking. Grace Lee Boggs government strong ideas I think people look at revolution too much in terms of power. I think revolution has to be seen more anthropologically, in terms of transitions from one mode of life to another. We have to see today in light of the transition, say, from hunting and gathering to agriculture, and from agriculture to industry, and from industry to post-industry. We're in an epoch transition. Grace Lee Boggs hunting light thinking The nation-state became powerful in the wake of the French Revolution, whereas the nation-state has become powerless in light of globalization. Grace Lee Boggs revolution powerful light Finding the leaders of the future is a question of recognizing those people who give leadership in a crisis. Grace Lee Boggs leader giving people I think people are really looking for some way whereby we can grow our souls rather than our economy. I think that at some level, people recognize that growing our economy is destroying us. It's destroying us as human beings, it's destroying our planet. And I think there's a great human desire for solutions, for profound solutions - and that nothing simple will do it. It really requires some very great searching of our souls. Grace Lee Boggs simple people thinking This capitalist society has not lasted forever; it's only a few hundred years old. Grace Lee Boggs hundred forever years New York has become almost a third-world country. When I was growing up it was mostly a Euro-American country. And it wasn't until LaGuardia was elected in 1933 that Italians were even considered Americans. We're at a great transition point in terms of population, demographics, and what it means to be a human being. Grace Lee Boggs growing-up new-york country Nonviolence is essentially based on recognizing the humanity in every one one of us. Grace Lee Boggs nonviolence recognizing humanity We have to see today in light of the transition, say, from hunting and gathering to agriculture, and from agriculture to industry, and from industry to post-industry. We're in an epoch transition. Grace Lee Boggs agriculture hunting light I think that most people don't think in terms of an American revolution, they think in terms of a Russian revolution, or even a Ukrainian revolution. But the idea of an American revolution does not occur to most people. And when I came down to the movement milieu seventy-five years ago, the black movement was just starting, and the war in Europe had brought into being the "Double V for Victory" [campaign]: the idea was that we ought to win democracy abroad with democracy at home. And that was the beginning of an American revolution, and most people don't recognize that. Grace Lee Boggs home war thinking Nonviolence is based on recognizing that all of us are human beings. And at a certain point we begin to learn that you don't gather very much by making enemies out of people and not recognizing their humanity. Grace Lee Boggs humanity people enemy I think Detroit shows that we've come to the end of the industrial epoch and have to find a new mode of production. Grace Lee Boggs detroit ends thinking I think that education today is a form of child abuse. The natural tendency of children is to solve problems, but we try to indoctrinate them with facts, which they are supposed to feed back, and then we fail them. And that's child abuse. And you should never raise children that way. You should cultivate and encourage their natural tendencies to create solutions to the problems around them. Grace Lee Boggs abuse children thinking I think it's really important that we get rid of the idea that protest will create change. Grace Lee Boggs important ideas thinking I think that at some level, people recognize that growing our economy is destroying us. It's destroying us as human beings, it's destroying our planet. Grace Lee Boggs growing people thinking People in Detroit aren't just urban gardening. They're starting a new mode of education. They're trying to give children the education to be "solutionaries" rather than people who are going to get jobs in the system. And that is a huge change, a cultural revolution. The things that are happening in Detroit would amaze you if you're used to only looking at statistics, and only thinking of blacks as sufferers and not as activists. Grace Lee Boggs jobs children thinking
