LEE BOOTH 1932-2016: A woman warrior and internationalist

By Debbie Johnson and Cheryl LaBash
Detroit

Lee Booth, March 14, 2009, Detroit International Working Women’s celebration.

The Detroit branch of Workers World Party — and the whole party — recently lost comrade Lee Booth of Ypsilanti, Mich., whose spirit of commitment was exemplified by her 65-year relationship with Phil Booth, her surviving life ­partner. She died on Sept. 15 at the age of 84.

Lee and Phil together attended demonstrations and meetings for decades supporting Palestine and Cuba and opposing the war in Iraq and other imperialist wars. During that period, Lee also traveled to both Iraq and Cuba in defiance of the imperialist sanctions against those countries.

Lee was an eloquent, staunch and firm anti-racist and anti-Zionist. Whenever Zionist speakers appeared at the University of Michigan, she participated in demonstrations against them.

The lead poisoning of thousands of Flint, Mich., residents was the most recent cause that brought Lee out to protest, even after she sustained a stroke. She demonstrated outside the home of Rick Snyder, the racist Michigan governor who was responsible for the Flint ­catastrophe.

Content to be in the ranks, Lee’s leadership qualities and understanding of the class struggle were plain to see whenever she joined the struggle that was most important at the moment. She brought wisdom, understanding, determination and sensitivity to every activity in which she participated.

The Detroit branch presented Lee with the Warrior Woman award in 2013 in appreciation for her commitment to WWP and the struggle against capitalism and imperialism.

Lee and Phil contributed for more than 30 years to the national Workers World Supporter Program to help publish this newspaper and regularly made financial contributions to the Detroit branch of WWP. They attended meetings there, although they had to travel for an hour to get to the office.

Lee Booth is an example of what it means to be a comrade — and what it is to join in the fight to build a Workers World. Lee Booth, ¡Presente!