Diamond Dave Whitaker, an American poet and activist, died on March 1, 2026.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, on November 12, 1937, Whitaker was associated with several generations of San Francisco counterculture, including the Beat movement, the hippie era, punk subculture, community radio and grassroots political activism. He hosted the open-mic radio program Common Thread Collective on Mutiny Radio and its predecessor, Pirate Cat Radio, and organized poetry events and political activism in San Francisco for more than six decades.
He also had an early connection to singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, whom he met in Minnesota in the early 1960s.
David “Diamond Dave” Whitaker (November 12, 1937 – March 2, 2026) was an American poet, author, radio host, activist and community organizer associated with several generations of San Francisco counterculture including the Beat movement, the hippie era, punk subculture, community radio and grassroots political activism. He was known for hosting the open-mic radio program Common Thread Collective on the San Francisco community station Mutiny Radio (and its predecessor Pirate Cat Radio), as well as for organizing poetry events and political activism in the city for more than six decades.