Isra Hirsi

Born in 2003 in Minneapolis, MN, Isra Hirsi is an environmental activist, and she advocates for the inclusion of more Black Muslim youth leaders within the climate movement, as well as the movement’s need to acknowledge the various intersections that contribute to climate change, including the impact of capitalism, white supremacy, and colonialism on the climate. Daughter of Congresswoman Illhan Omar and Ahmed Hirsi, Hirsi co-founded and co-directed the U.S. Youth Climate Strike in 2019.

At age 12, Hirsi was already active in seeking racial and social justice, participating in protests at Mall of America for Jamar Clark, a Black man who was shot and murdered by police. During her freshman year of high school, Hirsi joined the environmental club and began her involvement in climate activism.  

On March 15 and May 3 in 2019, Hirsi organized hundreds of student-led strikes across the United State after having co-founded and co-directed the U.S. Youth Climate Strike in January of the same year. She was also a recipient of various awards, including the Brower Youth Award and the Voice of the Future Award. In 2020, Hirsi was named on BET’s Future 40 and Fortune’s 40 Under 40 Government and Politics lists. 

In addition to being interviewed for various publications, Hirsi has written many articles as well, including for Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Grist, Vice, and Jacobin, with articles such as “Adults won’t take climate change seriously. So we, the youth, are forced to strike”, “The climate movement needs more people like me”, “Isra Hirsi: ‘You can read all the books you want, but reading books is not going to save lives”, and “A Generation Is Learning How to Strike”. 

You can follow Hirsi on social media, including her Twitter (@israhirsi), Instagram (@israhirsi), and TikTok (@israhirsi).