Dedan Gills

Dedan Gills (1945–2015) considered himself to be a “soulutionary.” He was a poet, writer, and active member for eight years in one of the first urban intentional environmental communities in the country—the L.A. Eco-Village. Certified in permaculture, he was a founding member of the Los Angeles Permaculture Guild.

Born in Watts, California, Dedan spent his younger years as an active supporter of the Black Power movement and the Black Panther Party, and was instrumental in the formation of the Black Student Alliance movement in Southern California. The demise of the movement was followed by years of despair and a search to expand his activist footing.

He subsequently became an unrelenting advocate for human rights and Mother Earth. Dedan worked to integrate principles of permaculture design, sustainability, environmental awareness, and the greening of the inner spirit. Based on his own healing journey, it was a process that he often referred to as “Green Recovery.”

Both in his personal and professional life, he gave tirelessly to the groups of people he considered most abandoned by mainstream culture – the homeless and those suffering from addiction and incarceration. He touched the souls and lives of many while actively addressing his own physical and emotional wounds and healing.

His poems have been shared publicly in presentations and gatherings with people of all ages, and published in the international journal Sufism, An Inquiry and then his first book, co-authored with Belvie Rooks, I Give You the Springtime of My Blushing Heart: A Poetic Love Song. Dedan and Belvie were also featured in The Power of Love: A Transformed Heart Can Change the World by Dr. Fran Grace, and both contributed essays to Global Chorus: 365 Voices for the Future of the Planet. Dedan was a beloved mentor, and his voice and wisdom continue to ripple out through his poetry and legacy. He was also a founding board member at the Pseads Institute, and a Strategic Advisor to Pie Ranch.