Isra Hirsi
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Isra Hirsi | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Hirsi in 2018 | |
| Born | February 22, 2003 Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Education | Barnard College |
| Known for | Environmental Activism |
| Movement | Youth Climate Strike |
| Parent(s) | Ilhan Omar Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi |
| Awards | Brower Youth Award (2019) |
Isra Hirsi (born February 22, 2003) is an American environmental activist. She co-founded and served as the co-executive director of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike.[1] In 2020, she was named in the Fortune's 40 Under 40 Government and Politics list.[2] She is the daughter of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar.
Hirsi was born on February 22, 2003, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to Somali American U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar[3][4][5] and Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi. Hirsi attended Minneapolis South High School,[6] which she graduated from in 2021. She became involved in climate activism after joining her high school's environmental club in her freshman year.[5][7]
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Hirsi attended Barnard College of Columbia University prior to her suspension. She began studying there in fall 2021. She was suspended after participating in an on-campus tent encampment protesting the university's investments in Israel and Israel's invasion of Gaza on April 18, 2024.[8][9] Hirsi has said that she will continue protesting until her "demands are met."[10]
Activism
At the age of 12, she was one of the participants protesting against the killing of Jamar Clark at the Mall of America.[5]
Hirsi coordinated the organization of hundreds of student-led strikes across the United States on March 15 and May 3, 2019.[4] She co-founded the U.S. Youth Climate Strike,[5] the American arm of a global youth climate change movement, in January 2019.[11][12][13] She acts as the co-executive director of this group.[5][14] She served as the chair of the Minnesota chapter of the High School Democrats of America during the 2018–2019 term.[15] In 2019, she won a Brower Youth Award.[16] That same year, Hirsi received the Voice of the Future Award.[7] In 2020, Hirsi was placed on BET's "Future 40" list.[17]
On April 18, 2024, Hirsi was suspended from Barnard College for taking part in what Barnard College claimed to be an "unauthorized encampment"[18] protest on the property of Columbia University in which there were calls for Columbia to divest from Israel.[8] She was also arrested by the NYPD later that day and released that evening.[19][20]
