Welcome to the Evolving Folks Project’s Evolved Woman of the Week profile. Each week, we will highlight an individual who embodies what it means to be an evolved person, famous and non-famous alike. The world needs to know their stories and deeds. This week’s honor goes to the author, speaker, and environmental activist, Leah Thomas.
Thomas grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri, and later moved to Orange County, California, for college. She loved being near both the beaches and the mountains. She realized that the place where police shot Michael Brown was just 10 minutes from her childhood home after that horrible incident. This made her notice that people weren’t talking about how environmental and social injustices overlap. Some of her family and friends were even exposed to tear gas during Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson, MO.
At university, Thomas found comfort in the outdoors and wanted her loved ones to experience nature’s healing power. She noticed people weren’t talking about how environmental and social injustices connect. She often pointed to the Flint water crisis, where 57% of residents are Black. She mentioned that most people living in food deserts without healthy options are from BIPOC communities. Still, she struggled to help others see the connections between climate and social justice. In 2017, Thomas graduated from Chapman University in Orange, California, with a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and policy.
She gained widespread recognition after her Instagram post went viral. In it, she used the phrase “intersectional environmentalism” and called on environmentalists to support Black Lives Matter following George Floyd’s death.
Thomas runs Intersectional Environmentalist, a website for people who care about the link between environmental and social justice issues. She also wrote The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet, a book that helps activists understand how race, privilege, social justice, and the environment are connected. Through her work, Thomas supports climate change activists who use anti-racist strategies to build a more inclusive environmental movement.
Thomas has been recognized on several prestigious lists, including Forbes 30 Under 30 2024, TIME100 NEXT, INSIDER’s Climate Action 30, Marie Claire’s Creators to Watch, EBONY Power 100, and InStyle’s The Badass 50. She is also an experienced public speaker who has spoken at Apple, Google, 1% for the Planet’s Global Summit, Meta, Dreamforce, Elon University, UCLA, and more. Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, The Washington Post, and Highsnobiety have featured her work. She has also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, W Magazine, CNN, ABC News, NBC, The Weather Channel, and on many podcasts.
Here is Leah Thomas in her own words about self-love and caring about important causes for the betterment of people and the Planet:
Just like they say in relationships. Like, how are you going to love somebody if you can’t love yourself? How are you going to show up for these causes that you care about if you’re not really working on that self-love? So I try, but it’s imperfect, and I’m figuring it out.
Leah Thomas has found more success advocating for those in society who are often forgotten or overlooked in policy debates. She fights for a planet that future generations of BIPOC people can not only enjoy but thrive in for many years to come. Today, we honor Leah Thomas as our Evolved Woman of the Week.
