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Jerome Foster II
Jerome Foster II, in 2022
Member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council
Incumbent
Assumed office
March 29, 2021
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byOffice established
Personal details
Born (2002-05-09) May 9, 2002 (age 22)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Domestic partner(s)Elijah McKenzie-Jackson (2021–present; engaged 2023)
OccupationClimate Justice Activist
Signature
Websitejeromefosterii.com

Jerome Foster II (born May 9, 2002) is an American environmental activist. He is the youngest-ever White House advisor in United States history,[1][2] as a member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council within the Biden administration.[3] Foster is a leading voice for marginalized and working class communities in spaces pushing for social, economic and environmental justice.[4] Foster is one of the major organizers of Fridays for Future; holding weekly climate strikes at the front gates of the White House for over 57 weeks.[5] He has previously served as a congressional intern for U.S. Representative John Lewis at the age of 16 and served on the Washington DC State Board of Education's Advisory Council at the age of 14.

Foster has helped organize some of the largest climate marches in Washington, D.C.,[6] and has spoken at the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights in April 2019[7] and the United Nations Youth Climate Summit in September 2019. Foster gained international recognition after organizing climate strikes outside the White House and being interviewed by former vice president Al Gore at the Atlanta Climate Reality Leadership Training in March 2019.

Early life

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Jerome Foster II was born in Washington, D.C.,[8] on May 9, 2002, by his mother René Foster, and father, Jerome Foster Sr.[9][10][11] Foster attended Washington Leadership Academy High School, graduating in June 2020.[2] In 2019, he was selected by the D.C. Office of the State Superintendent of Education to attend Harvard University during his eleventh grade summer.[12][13] Foster graduated from high school in June 2020[2] and studies computer science at Pace University.[14][15]

Activism

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TAU VR

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When Foster was 14 years old, he founded an immersive technology organization, TAU VR, which built virtual reality environments regarding American History, Climate Change, and Latin American Immigration to the United States, and more. In September 2017, TAU VR was featured on XQ Super School Live,[16] which was aired on ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX which depicted his story of placing 3rd at the World Series of Entrepreneurship.[16]

The Climate Reporter

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Foster, in November 2017, founded The Climate Reporter, an international youth-led climate-focused news outlet that reports.[17][18]

White House climate strikes

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As a part of Greta Thunberg's School Strike for Climate protest, Foster held weekly climate strikes in front of the White House in Lafayette Square.[19][20] On September 13, 2019, Thunberg as a part of her trans-American voyage to COP 25 in Santiago, Chile joined Foster's White House climate strikes which drew thousands to the site.[21][22][23] Through organizing these climate strikes, Foster met Jane Fonda and has gone on to collaborate with Fonda on her Fire Drill Fridays.[24]

OneMillionOfUs

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Foster founded OneMillionOfUs in early 2019.[25][26][27] Which is an international non-profit youth voting and advocacy organization. It aims to "educate, empower and mobilise a movement of young people to be civically active and engage on the local and global stage through their intersectional youth-focused civic partnerships",[28] OneMillionOfUs has built a large coalition that will provide young people with the tools they need to spur systemic change in their communities, school buildings and political offices.[29] This organization also created a "Uniting Youth Coalition"[30] representing 5 youth social movements: gun violence, climate change, immigration reform, gender equality, and racial equality to have a space on both the local and international level to coordinate events and campaigns between movements.[31]

COP27 Scrutiny on LGBTQ+ Rights

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In July 2022, Foster and his partner, Elijah McKenzie-Jackson, co-authored a letter to the UNFCCC[32] to call on the United Nations to move COP27 climate summit[33] due to Egypt's "LGBTQ+ torture, woman slaughter, and civil rights suppression" he says[34] after they started looking into logistics of traveling to Sharm El-Sheikh.[35] As Foster is an openly-public bisexual figure,[36] he and his partner "might be targeted"[34] according to Guardian News.

The letter, which was directed towards UNFCCC Executive-Secretary, Patricia Espinosa,[37] was signed by prominent activists such as Nadya Tolokonnikova, Ahmed Alaa, and Eric Njuguna. The couple are calling the UNFCCC non-action a betrayal of the community and "inherent discrimination."[38] Foster emphasized that, "there are better options of countries in Africa that will still include African voices. People shouldn't be cannon fodder for the climate movement. Cop27 will fail if it's in Egypt because critical voices will be left out."[39]

Politics

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District of Columbia State Board of Education

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At 15 years old, Foster became the sole student representative serving on the District of Columbia State Board of Education High School Graduation Requirements Task Force, working to modernize high school graduation requirements starting with the class of 2030 across the District.[40]

Congressional internship

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At 16 years old, Foster applied to be an intern for U.S. Representative John Lewis, as described in an interview in late 2020.[41] On Fridays during his internship, he held weekly climate rallies at the front gates of the White House as a part of Greta Thunberg's Fridays For Future movement to advocate for the passage of the Climate Change Education Act which would add environmental education as a core subject in all American schools and provide funding for colleges to further research into the climate crisis.[42]

Biden administration

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On March 29, 2021, the White House announced that Foster would serve as an advisor on the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, providing recommendations on environmental injustice.[43][15][44]

Personal life

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Foster has been in a relationship with British climate activist Elijah McKenzie-Jackson since 2021.[45][46] They announced their engagement on June 11, 2023.[47]

Honors and awards

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Filmography

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Year Film/Show Title Role Film/Show Genre
2017 XQ Super School Live[56] As himself LIVE Event
2020 I Am Greta[57] Documentary
2021 Earth Day! The Musical[58] TV special
2021 Hulu's Your Attention Please: Innitiative 29[59] Streaming Series

Bibliography

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  • "What Can I Do?: My Path from Climate Despair to Action" by Jane Fonda; Biography, 2020[60]
  • "Stone Soup for a Sustainable World: Life-Changing Stories of Young Heroes" by Marianne Larned; Biography, 2021[61][62]
  • "Amara and the Bats" by Emma Reynolds; Children's Picture Book, 2021[63][64][65][66]

References

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  1. ^ "'I'm hopeful': Jerome Foster, the 18-year-old helping to craft US climate policy". the Guardian. 13 April 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Jerome Foster II: The Teen White House Advisor Who Speaks Truth to Power". spyscape.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  3. ^ "Jerome Foster II: Climate activists you should know". Mic. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Newsela | Climate and social activist: An interview with Jerome Foster II". newsela.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ Chaney, Kathy (24 January 2022). "Meet Teen Climate Hero: Jerome Foster II". YR Media. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  6. ^ Li, Ang (14 March 2019). "'It Will Be Too Late for My Generation.' Meet the Young People Organizing a Massive Climate Change Protest". TIME Magazine.
  7. ^ "Jerome Foster II". Global Citizen Year. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ 30 January; Smith-Janssen, 2020 Karen L. "He's Leading D.C.'s Movement for Climate Action—and He's a High School Senior". NRDC. Retrieved 3 February 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Teenage climate activist Jerome Foster is in a race against time – and adults". The Washington Post.
  10. ^ @JeromeFosterII (8 May 2020). "I am so excited be 18 years old tomorrow. That means I will be vote in this November Presidential Election!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  11. ^ "Planning protests, not prom: Inside today's youth climate strike movement". Earth Day. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  12. ^ "Jerome Foster II". earthoptimism.si.edu. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Jerome Foster II, The American Greta Thunberg". The Green Market Oracle. 30 January 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  14. ^ @JeromeFosterII (14 July 2020). "I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL!!
    I am incredibly excited to have graduated AND even prouder to be a part of the Class 2020, forever marked as a class of resiliency. We didn't get a proper prom or graduation but we still graduated together as peers. #ClassOf2020"     (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ a b "'I'm hopeful': Jerome Foster, the 18-year-old helping to craft US climate policy". the Guardian. 13 April 2021.
  16. ^ a b XQ Super School Live Jerome Foster II. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  17. ^ "Global Climate Strike: 5 Youth Activists Who Are Leading the Charge on Climate Action". Rainforest Alliance. 17 September 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  18. ^ Hansen, Terri (20 September 2019). "Four Climate Scientists on How to Take on Climate Change Today". NationofChange. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  19. ^ Rodriguez/ABC7, Ashlie (6 March 2020). "DC HS student has held climate change rally in front of White House for 57 weeks in a row". WJLA. Retrieved 23 March 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ First-Arai, Leanna (24 May 2019). "This 16-Year-Old Is Taking the School Climate Strike to the U.S. Capitol". Yes! Magazine. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  21. ^ Harvey, Fiona (1 November 2019). "Madrid to host UN climate summit after Chile pulls out". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  22. ^ "Kelsey Juliana v. U.S.: Meet the Young Woman Suing the Federal Government over the Climate Crisis". Democracy Now!. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  23. ^ ""Our future is a right". Youth climate activists strike outside White House". Earth Day. 13 September 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  24. ^ "50 Years of Fighting: Jane Fonda talks activism with rising star Jerome Foster II". Fix. 5 June 2020. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  25. ^ "OneMillionOfUs". C-SPAN. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  26. ^ "19 youth climate activists you should be following on social media". Earth Day. 14 June 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  27. ^ "Jerome Foster". C-SPAN. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  28. ^ "How Youth Climate Activist Jerome Foster II Became the Voice for One Million Young People". Rethink Together. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  29. ^ McKibben, Bill. "OneMillionOfUs' Plan to Revolutionize the Youth Vote in America". The New Yorker. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  30. ^ McKibben, Bill. "What Can the Coronavirus Teach Us?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  31. ^ Fuse, retrieved 11 January 2023
  32. ^ Boudreau, Catherine. "Youth activist Jerome Foster is skipping the UN's climate conference in Egypt because of the country's record on LGBTQ rights". Business Insider. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  33. ^ Atmos (3 August 2022). "The Dangers of a COP27 in Egypt". Atmos. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  34. ^ a b "UN urged to move Cop27 from Egypt over 'LGBTQ+ torture'". the Guardian. 15 July 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  35. ^ "The Dangers of a COP27 in Egypt". Atmos. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  36. ^ "Finding Love in the Apocalypse". Atmos. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  37. ^ Nexus, Climate (11 August 2022). "COP27 in Egypt Subjects LGBTQIA+ Climate Activists to Human Rights Abuses". EcoWatch. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  38. ^ "COP27 in Egypt Subjects LGBTQIA+ Climate Activists to Human Rights Abuses". EcoWatch. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  39. ^ "Why Cop27 Has Already Let Us Down". British Vogue. 7 November 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  40. ^ "Rethinking the District's High School Graduation Requirements | sboe". sboe.dc.gov. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  41. ^ Meredith, Karenna (20 August 2020). "Activist Jerome Foster II Shares the Valuable Lessons Congressman John Lewis Taught Him". POPSUGAR News. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  42. ^ Dingell, Debbie (23 April 2019). "H.R.2349 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Climate Change Education Act". www.congress.gov. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  43. ^ "White House Announces Environmental Justice Advisory Council Members". The White House. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  44. ^ "White House Announces Environmental Justice Advisory Council Members". The White House. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
  45. ^ "Finding Love in the Apocalypse". Atmos. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  46. ^ "Exclusive – Jerome Foster and Elijah McKenzie-Jackson talk intersectional activism". Thred Website. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  47. ^ "Jerome Foster II on LinkedIn: 🤍💍 Elijah McKenzie-Jackson, I love you to the stars and back!!". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  48. ^ "Alumni". World Series of Entrepreneurship | Changing the Trajectory of Lives. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  49. ^ "Jerome Foster Rethinking the District's High School Graduation Requirements". D.C. State Board of Education. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  50. ^ "2019 UCS Science Defenders". Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  51. ^ "Jerome Foster II | 2020 Youth Environmental Champion". Archived from the original on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  52. ^ "Jerome Foster II Grist 50: 2020: Celebrating 5 Years of Fixers". Grist. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  53. ^ "Young Futurists 2020: America Needs Leaders Now More Than Ever. Here Are 25 Who Are Already About That Life". The Root. 15 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  54. ^ Chuba, Kirsten (10 January 2022). "Jane Fonda, Bill Nye to Be Honored at Captain Planet Foundation Gala". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 March 2022.
  55. ^ "Climate Action 30: Top global leaders working toward climate solutions". businessinsider.com. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  56. ^ Hamilton, Hamish (8 September 2017), XQ Super School Live (Family), EIF, retrieved 12 August 2022
  57. ^ I Am Greta (2020) - IMDb, retrieved 12 August 2022
  58. ^ Wilkime, Tim (22 April 2021), Earth Day! The Musical, Done and Dusted Productions, retrieved 12 August 2022
  59. ^ "Your Attention Please". Hulu. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  60. ^ Nakate, Vanessa (2 November 2021). A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-358-65450-6.
  61. ^ "Voting rights advocate Jerome Foster is raising youth climate awareness | Greenbiz". www.greenbiz.com. 19 October 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  62. ^ "Stone Soup for a Sustainable World". Stone Soup for a Sustainable World. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  63. ^ "Amara and the Bats". BookBairn. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  64. ^ Musselman, Sean (30 September 2021). "Amara and the Bats". Teachers | Books | Readers. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  65. ^ "Amara and the Bats". Project Learning Tree. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  66. ^ Noble, Barnes &. "Amara and the Bats|Hardcover". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
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