Grassroots interventions occur when ordinary people become engaged in crusades greater than their personal ambitions. To understand the phenomena than motivates people into becoming grassroots leaders the following two research questions guided this qualitative study: (a) What are the defining moments or events that move ordinary people to become involved leaders in grassroots social change movements? and (b) How do grassroots leaders develop their sense of community, think about their world, and take actions to become change agents? From analyzing the research data, the following eight themes were disclosed: (a) The Role of Family, (b) The Plight of Youth, (c) The Instances of Injustices, (d) The Factor of Fear, (e) The Empowerment of Education, (f) The Reliance Upon God, (g) The Longing for Leadership, and (h) The Divisiveness of a Divided Community. Defining moments that lead ordinary people to become grassroots community leaders were discovered from interpreting the eight themes. Strong family influences, spiritual convictions, concern for youth, and boldness to confront the injustices were motivating factors for participants in this dissertation study to become grassroots leaders. Grassroots leaders embrace education as an empowerment source for success. Grassroots leaders are aware of the power of fear, which can hinder grassroots involvement or become the catalysis that launches ordinary people into action.