By Arize
Our beloved Bev-I Beverly Dove, Cactus Feather, dear friend and comrade in struggle, joined the ancestors on the heels of the new year. Bev was as pure a spirit on this earth as humans can be in her love for all (anti-capitalist) life which she shared with everyone, right until the day she died.
Bev-I’s community is enormous because she touched so many different types of people. She was humble and didn’t like to elevate her personal history above the struggle of others. Slingshot attempted to award her the Golden Wingnut award around 10 years ago but she refused. Wherever Bev-I went, she announced upcoming protests and events, even, or especially, if it was not the most “appropriate” time. Recently she was most vocal about the struggles of the people of Palestine and Haiti as well as against police brutality and war.
She was fierce at demonstrations, often right up at the front of marches, and not afraid to confront the police. She defended People’s Park, Native Americans, the earth and animals. She hung out hard at the Long Haul and other community spaces. Her companion bunny Hip-Hop was the most revolutionary rabbit ever and accompanied her everywhere. She loved dancing and music, particularly Reggae.
Bevi was born in Roxbury, MA and got an art degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. She moved to Berkeley in the early ‘80s and worked for the Berkeley public schools and at Berkeley Parks and Recreation. She had a side job dancing and told friends she got more respect stripping than she did at her mainstream jobs. After retiring when she was about 55, she became a full-time activist, dancer and doer.
Her ex-domestic partner Jessica remembers “She was way ahead of her time. She fought for animal rights, the environment, gay rights, farm workers and against pesticides, corporate money, war, dirty oil and police brutality since at least 1985. Bev not only knew about these issues but told everyone about them. That was her mission — to let people know what’s really going on. Don’t be complicit with evil — be critical and get up and do something about it.”
Bev represented the revolutionary optimism of her generation but she focused on the here-and-now and the future — not nostalgia. Her determination, devotion and ferocity made her a true leader.
May we all aspire to live like her! Long live Bev-I!