The Boggs Blog

Thinking for ourselves State of our city By Shea Howell March 13, 2012 Mayor Dave Bing gave his third State of the City Address last week amidst one of the most difficult moments in Detroit history. A looming financial crisis threatens local control of the city.  An emergency manager or a consent agreement forced by [...]

Thinking for ourselves City honors By Shea Howell March 6, 2012 I looked forward to hearing Angela Davis and Grace Lee Boggs discuss philosophy and revolution last week at the Empowering Women of Color Conference hosted by the University of California-Berkeley. It was because of Angela Davis that I came to Detroit and because of [...]

Thinking for ourselves Digital Justice and our future By Shea Howell February 28, 2011 March 3-10, 2012 Last Sunday afternoon I watched the future take shape. I went to the third DiscoTech, put together by the Digital Justice Coalition. DiscoTech is short for Discovering Technology Fair. The fair includes more than a dozen hands on [...]

By Barbara L. Jones, Contributing Writer WSU Peace and Justice visits Boggs Center Standing: Barbara L. Jones, WSU Peace and Justice Learning Community Peer Mentor/Grad student,  Seated Left-Right; Marilyn Corbitt, WSU Grad student ,Dr. Fredric Pearson, WSU Director of The Center of Peace and Conflict Studies and Grace Lee Boggs, lifelong social activist Recently the [...]

Thinking for ourselves Cities for Democratic Action by Shea Howell Feb. 21,-March3, 2012 Cities foster democratic action. They bring together strangers who must craft a sense of common purpose to simply carry on daily life. Often, where there are tremendous differences in cultures, historical experiences, and future aspirations, cities create a more open, creative and [...]

Thinking for Ourselves Style and Substance By Shea Howell February 7,2012 Detroit is bracing for another round of school closings. While lacking the arrogance and of his predecessor, Robert Bobb, Emergency Financial Manager Roy S. Roberts has made it clear more schools will be shut down. Highlighting the difference in management styles, Roy Roberts has [...]

Thinking for ourselves Foundations of public good By Shea Howell January 3, 2012 The Occupy Wall Street movement has opened up the conversation about the control the 1% have over public policy. While we all know that much of this control comes through good old-fashioned campaign contributions and high priced lobbyists, the role of foundations [...]

Thinking for oursleves Beyond unequal distribution By Shea Howell December 3 -10, 2011 The Occupy Wall Street movement is fading quickly from the headlines. As winter approaches in much of the country the tents and tarps have been forcefully removed or quietly taken down. The energy and excitement of the autumn uprisings have given way [...]

Thinking for ourselves Budget talks By Shea Howell November 22, December 5, 2011  It promises to be a bleak holiday season for many Detroiters. The city is facing a $45 million budget shortfall and is likely to run out of money in April. Mayor Bing is proposing pay cuts, laying off 1000 city employees, and [...]

Thinking for ourselves Turning to one another in tough times By Shea Howell November 15, 2011  The Riverfront East Congregational Initiative (RECI) is hosting a fall festival this Saturday November 19 to spread the word among congregations and community members about resources available to sustain, protect and improve life for people, especially on the East [...]