As a young black woman in America, Wawa Gatheru knows better than anyone the brunt that women of color particularly face from climate change. The daughter of Kenyan immigrants, Wawa grew up in rural Connecticut gardening with her mother and grandmother—an experience that formed her critical understanding of the intersection between care for the planet and care for communities.
As a student at the University of Connecticut, she delved into the world of environmental scholarship and quickly became one of the state’s most vocal figures in climate justice, serving as a lead organizer in Connecticut’s first Youth Climate Lobby Day and being named a United Nations global health fellow. After becoming the first Black person in history to receive the Rhodes, Truman, and Udall Scholarships, Gatheru founded her own national nonprofit, Black Girl Environmentalist. The organization is dedicated to educating and empowering Black girls and women across the climate movement, from community building to green workforce development. She also sits on the boards and advisory councils for organizations including the National Parks Conservation Association, Earth Justice, and the Environmental Media Association.
