David Graeber was an exemplary scholar-activist. We all know plenty of professors who will occasionally participate in demonstrations and sign petitions; and activists who conduct research and teach. David, however, was so deeply engaged in both realms that it would be impossible to assign one a primary role. Clearly, for him, scholarship and activism enriched and informed one another in a constant exchange.

I first met David during the great season of alter-globalization struggles following the 1999 Seattle WTO protests. He stood out for the intelligence of his interventions at meetings and demonstrations, undoubtedly, but what most impressed me was his dedication to practical militancy, his patience at interminable meetings, and his willingness to travel wherever the next struggle erupted. Indeed, over the past twenty years, he has been seemingly omnipresent at activist encounters.

He is widely celebrated for his 2011 role at Occupy Wall Street, of course, and his more recent support of struggles in Rojava have been very visible, but he has also participated in innumerable less visible events and encounters, large and small. I have never interpreted David’s dedication to militancy as an obligation, as if he were making a sacrifice and fulfilling a duty. Instead, he is one of the lucky ones who has discovered the rewards and pleasures of an activist mode of life, regardless of its rigors and hardships.