The modern environmental movement, which began in the 1960’s and 70’s in the United States, has come a long way. With the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this past April, it’s time to acknowledge the need for diversity and inclusion in environmentalism. Below are just a few environmentalists and environmental activists of color, who are changing the faces of the movement and changing the planet.
Leah Thomas
Based in Southern California, Leah Thomas is a Black intersectional environmentalist and eco-communicator who dedicates her work to advocating and exploring the relationship between environmentalism and social justice. Also known as “Green Girl Leah,” she is published on platforms like The Good Trade and Vogue discussing topics of sustainability, environmental justice, and anti-racism. Ms. Thomas is the founder of the website, Intersectional Environmentalist, providing resources to support intersectional environmentalism and dismantle systems of oppression within the environmental movement. Just this month, she participated in the CSU Sustainability Month’s virtual “Climate Justice=Social Justice” event, as a panelist for a young movement leaders discussion.
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Xiuhtezcatl (shoo-TEZ-chat) Martinez is an Indigenous environmental and climate activist, who gained exposure in 2015 from speaking before the UN Assembly General on climate change, and is one of twenty-one youth plaintiffs who filed Juliana v. United States. The case is an ongoing lawsuit asserting that the government’s affirmative actions that cause greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, infringe on the youngest generation’s right to life and liberty. From Boulder, Colorado, he began his activism at the age of six, speaking at local climate rallies and around the world, addressing the need for environmental protection for future generations. Mr. Martinez is also a hip-hop artist, using the values of Indigenous peoples to protect land, culture, and earth as the foundation of his music. He currently serves as a board member for Earth Guardians, a non-profit organization centered on galvanizing and training youth to be effective leaders in the environmental movement. In October 2019, he spoke on our own SSU campus for the Associated Students event, “Let’s Talk About It: Understanding Environmentalism and Our Climate Crisis.”
Isra Hirsi
Irsa Hirsi is a Black Muslim environmentalist and organizer, and founder of U.S. Youth Climate Strike--the American branch of a global youth-led climate change movement focused on combating climate change through strikes and climate policy. She founded the organization in March 2019, helping mobilize more than 100,000 youth to strike in the United States, and about 1.6 million youth around the world. She is driven by her identity as a Black Muslim woman from immigrant parents, and advocates for diversity and intersectionality within environmentalism; she gave her first TEDx talk in February 2020 titled “Angry Black Girl” addressing these topics. Ms. Hirsi received the Brower Youth Award in 2019, and authored articles in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and Grist.
Xiye Bastida
From Mexico and a member of the Otomi-Toltec nation, Xiye Bastida is a climate and environmental activist who saw the need for change six years ago, when her hometown of San Pedro Tultepec experienced an extreme flood. This caused her and her family to relocate to New York City, where she witnessed the remaining destruction from Hurricane Sandy, prompting her action and leadership in organizations like Fridays for Future, the Peoples Climate Movement, Sunrise Movement, and Extinction Rebellion. Ms. Bastida is a leading voice for Indigenous and immigrant inclusion in climate activism, and brings awareness to how climate change threatens everyone and everywhere. In 2018, she was invited to the 9th United Nations World Urban Forum to speak on Indigenous cosmology and received the “Spirit of UN” award. This past July, Ms. Bastida released a TED talk honoring the values passed down to her that have contributed to her resilience, love and advocacy for the environment.
Kevin J. Patel
A first-generation Indian American, Kevin Patel is a Los Angeles environmentalist and founder of OneUpAction, a non profit organization that supports marginalized youth by providing resources needed to take innovative steps to combat the effects of climate change in their local communities. Eight years ago, he experienced heart palpitations and breathing problems, linked to the high levels of smog and air pollution in his area of South Central Los Angeles--a ‘sacrifice zone’. He decided to take action. At a young age, he began teaching fellow students about the issues in their communities and what can be done to fix it. Mr. Patel has led marches, petitioned government officials, and advocates for more people of color in the movement. In 2019 he launched OneUpAction, and since then with grants and donations, has planted more than 4,000 trees in other sacrifice zones.
Marian Mejia, the current Communications assistant at Sustainable SSU, is a graduating senior in the Geography, Environment, and Planning department with a focus in Society, Environment, and Development. She can be contacted at mejimari@sonoma.edu