My Dad, Ed Greevy, passed away last Wednesday at the age of 85. He died due to natural causes at the Palolo Chinese Home.
Known as the photographer of the Hawaiian sovereignty movement, Ed documented protests and land struggles in Hawaiʻi for over 40 years.
Starting from the early 70s, Ed Greevy photographed protests at Kalama Valley, Waiāhole-Waikāne, Kahoʻolawe, Mākua Valley, Sand Island, Mokauea Island, Chinatown, the H-3 freeway, Heʻeia Kea, Ota Camp, and the march to ʻIolani Palace in 1993 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
Ed’s mentor and close friend was John Kelly, founder of Save Our Surf. My parents first met at an SOS meeting aimed at stopping the construction of the H-3 freeway.
In 2004, Ed published a book with renowned Hawaiian activist, educator, and poet Haunani-Kay Trask. The book, Kuʻe: Thirty Years of Land Struggle in Hawaii, featured Ed Greevy’s photographs alongside captions by Haunani-Kay Trask.
In 2014, Ed Greevy’s photographs were prominently featured in A Nation Rising: Hawaiian Movements for Life, Land, and Sovereignty (Narrating Native Histories). The book chronicled the political struggles and grassroots initiatives collectively known as the Hawaiian sovereignty movement.
Born in Los Angeles in 1939, Ed first came to Hawaiʻi on a surf trip. His archive includes over 100,000 images.
Seven of Ed’s photographs of Haunani-Kay Trask are currently on display at Windward Community College as part of “The OGs: Photographers of the Silver Gelatin Process.”
More of his work can be found at edgreevy.com
Other notable achievements include:
- Launched Competition Surf magazine with his sister and brother in-law, Kathryn and Jim Joiner, in 1966.
- Inducted in the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame in 2014
- Holds a credible claim as the first person to surf the state of Maine (Memorial Day weekend, 1962)
- His photographs have been featured in magazines, museums, galleries, television shows, and textbooks in Hawaiʻi and New York
- He built a darkroom in every place we lived in growing up
- Either coached or recorded every game of every sport (baseball, soccer, volleyball, and football) I played from elementary through high school.
- Famously began his voicemail greeting as, “This is Ed Greevy, traveler, philosopher, photographer. I can’t come to the phone right now, but if you leave a name and message, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Opening night, OG Photogs at Windward Community College (6 September 2024)
Our last family picture together during opening night at Windward Community College (left to right: Lisa Greevy, Hoala Greevy, Ed Greevy, Haaheo Mansfield)