American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs
Dir. Grace LEE
Featuring: Grace Lee BOGGS
By Nicole Soohoo
Grace Lee BOGGS is a leader, an activist, and an inspiration for many different types of minorities. At age 95, she has experienced America’s most significant social movements, having been a strong advocate for African American rights at its height. In this biographical film AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY: THE EVOLUTION OF GRACE LEE BOGGS, director Grace LEE uses BOGG’s life and journey to activism to show the Civil Rights Movement in Detroit from a new angle, as well as the development of new social movements in 21st century America. The film is going to have its New York premiere on Saturday Nov. 16 at SVA Theater as part of DOC NYC.
What makes this documentary different from others is the director’s unique connection with the subject of the film. Grace LEE first met BOGGS a decade ago while filming for her previous documentary, The Grace Lee Project, and has continued to keep the connection. They’re relationship is reminiscent of a grandmother and her grandchild, which results in more informal and impulsive conversation.
As a young Chinese American woman, I seek icons like Grace Lee BOGGS who I can look up to as a role model for activism. It was interesting to see that even though BOGGS was a prominent figure in the African American rights movement, she did not identify with Asian American or Women’s movements because they did not exist at the time. The most profound moments for me in this film were the instances in which BOGGS explained that she never thought of her identity as Chinese American or female, because those movements had not yet begun during the height of her participation in activism. This was difficult for me to fathom at first, as both factors are large parts of my own identity that I think about every day. But I think what makes her powerful and inspirational to so many different types of people is her ability to challenge preconceived notions and make you think. Many top theorists and activists have sat in BOGGS’ living room, and they all left rethinking the ideas and opinions they had always taken for granted. While BOGGS herself is very rigid in her own opinions and her goal to redefine revolution, she does have the power to facilitate and make way for new ideas.
For me, I knew very little about her prior to watching the film, but now I am wondering why such an influential person is never credited in books or film as part of the American history. I think that Grace Lee BOGGS as a representation of intersectionality between minority groups is what will bring people to watch her film, but I hope that when they leave they will begin to challenge their own thoughts and think about how her concepts can be applied in their own lives.
Nicole Soohoo is a sophomore Economics major and Computer Science minor at Bryn Mawr College, where she holds the position of Culture Show Co-Head for the Asian Students’ Association. She is 3rd generation American-Born Chinese from New Jersey. This past summer Nicole interned at AAIFF’13, which led her to take more interest in Asian American issues and activism.