7 Young Activists Working at the Intersection of Environmental and Racial Justice

Environmental threats and its disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) are known as environmental racism. When we talk about environmental justice, it’s important to acknowledge that communities of color have historically been left out of the conversation, even though they are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis. Research has shown that people of color breathe in more polluted air, suffer from more environmentally related medical conditions, are in the line of more natural disasters, and are displaced at much higher rates than other groups. Therefore, it is critical that the climate movement be a part of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In this intense moment in the fight against racial injustice and the COVID-19 crisis, we can’t separate the fight for racial equity from the fight against climate change, and we must look at environmental justice as an anti-racist act. Leah Thomas, an intersectional environmental activist and eco-communicator, defines intersectional environmentalism as “an inclusive version of environmentalism that advocates for both the protection of people and the planet.” Find out more about Leah and six other young activists whose work prioritizes an intersectional lens and links environmental and racial justice.

1) Leah Thomas (She/Her)

Leah, known as @greengirlleah on Instagram, is the founder of the Intersectional Environmentalist platform, which provides resources and information for those interested in how to “dismantle systems of oppression in the environmental movement.” On her platform, you can take the Intersectional Environmentalist Pledge to learn more about how to achieve climate and social justice. Her work has been featured in Vogue, The Good Trade, and Buzzfeed and she spoke at the 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival. She also works to help businesses implement intersectional environmentalism into their work.

2) Joycelyn Longdon (She/Her)

Joycelyn is the creator of Climate in Colour, which aims to make conversations around climate change more inclusive. She is also is a Ph.D. candidate applying Artificial Intelligence to Climate Change at Cambridge University. As part of her work, she talks specifically about decolonizing the climate movement and is currently working with Earthrise Studio to host a series that explores the colonial roots of the climate crisis.

3) Vic Barrett (He/Him)

After being severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Vic dedicated his work to climate change, justice, and human rights. Not only was Vic one of 21 youth plaintiffs in the internationally-recognized climate lawsuit against the Trump administration, he has also penned an op-ed in The Guardian, served as a fellow with the Alliance for Climate Education, attended the COP 21 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris, and spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in support of sustainable development goals. He currently serves as a Democracy Organizer for the Alliance for Climate Education, which works to involve students of color in environmental activism, and is especially interested in the ways climate change affects young people.

4) Xiye Bastida (She/Her)

Growing up in Mexico, Xiye saw the impacts of climate change firsthand when her hometown experienced droughts and floods. When she moved to New York City, she also witnessed the impact of Hurricane Sandy. Xiye is now one of the lead organizers of the Fridays For Future youth climate strike movement, coordinator of the Re-Earth Initiative, a recipient of the 2018 Spirit of the UN Award, and was named one of Vogue’s 21 Under 21 Women Changing the World in 2019. She will soon be a published author in the book, All We Can Save, which is a collection of essays from women at the forefront of the climate movement.

5) Kristy Drutman (She/Her)

Through a podcast, blog, and YouTube channel, Kristy examines the climate crisis as it intersects with social justice through her media platform, Brown Green Girl. Kristy’s passion lies in environmental storytelling and organizing. On her platform, she interviews environmental rights leaders and amplifies voices in the environmental movement to speak about why diversity and inclusion are critical in the fight for climate justice.

6) Mikaela Loach (She/Her)

Mikaela works to challenge us to learn about how oppressive systems intersect with each other as an Instagram influencer, podcast host, and writer. In addition to her intersectional activism, she uses her platform to talk about sustainability, ethical living, refugee rights, and how to make these movements more accessible and inclusive. She has been featured on BBC News, Refinery 29, and ELLE.

7) Isra Hirsi (She/Her)

Isra’s climate activism journey began during her freshman year of high school, but after noticing that she was the only Black person, and usually the only person of color at her school’s environmental club meetings, she became an advocate for intersectionality and diversity within the climate justice movement. She believes that addressing social inequality can bring critical awareness to the climate change movement, which she discusses in her TEDx Talk. She co-founded and served as Executive Director of the US Youth Climate Strike, for which she received a Brower Youth Award.