Hello!
I’m Jasmine Davenport...a climate scientist, strategist, climate justice advocate, and native of Monroe, Louisiana.
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Bio
You might have read some of my work in POLITICO, The Hill, USA Today or seen me on MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, BNC News or more. Most recently, I completed my tenure as an appointee for the Biden-Harris Administration. It was my honor to serve as Senior Advisor for Climate Justice advising on the implementation of $11 billion of funding from the Inflation Reduction Act for EPA’s Office of Air & Radiation. I am a 2022 recipient of the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award for my leadership in galvanizing young people across the country to advocate for environmental justice. “With his vision for a New Frontier, President Kennedy challenged young Americans to take on great challenges, solve complex problems and work for a better future,” said Schlossberg, who is a member of the New Frontier Awards Committee. “Jasmine Davenport and Mayor Lumumba have each answered President Kennedy’s call to action in our time, taking on some of the greatest challenges facing our country today. Their courage is a reminder that each of us can make a difference.” The awards were presented by Jack Schlossberg, President Kennedy’s grandson and Chair of the New Frontier Award Committee.
From July 2020 - January 2023, I served as the Executive Director of Our Climate, a climate change advocacy organization energized by its youth grassroots movement. Striving to raise awareness to the intersecting effects of climate change and the communities of color who are disproportionately affected, I utilize the positivity that results from uplifting our youth to make a global impact. Previously, I managed the strategic initiatives and special projects for HIAS, wrote legislative briefs for the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee and worked for Terpstra Associates, a DC lobbying firm where I advocated on Capitol Hill for agricultural and environmental issues. I earned a graduate degree from the University of Essex with a MSc in Tropical Marine Biology. Specializing in climate change, my graduate thesis detailed the Shifts in the Genetic Composition of Three DMS-consuming Cnidarians. I attended the University of South Alabama and obtained a BS in Biology and a minor in Spanish. Currently, I reside in the Washington, DC area with my family and serve on the Board of Directors for Ocean Discovery Institute.
CNBC Documentary Feature
Media Features
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![No Planet B]()
The Hill — The climate crisis requires every tool we've got, including carbon renewal
“Wake up people. Have you read the United Nations latest climate report? I hope alarm bells are going off…”
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PBS — How youth leadership is changing climate activism
“Young people around the world continue to protest in large numbers over what many see as inaction from political leaders on climate change…”
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![Jasmine Davenport sitting on on a wooden bridge looking up]()
CNBC — 6 Black climate change leaders you need to know
“Witnessing Hurricane Katrina as a Black woman in Louisiana woke up something in my soul. But it wasn’t until a few years later that I realized my gift was my voice…”
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![Jasmine Sanders kayaking on the bayou in Monroe, Louisiana in September 2013]()
USA Today — As my beautiful bayou home is ravaged by hurricanes, people of color become climate migrants
“There is nothing quite like the smell of the bayou. I remember when I was a teenager how I would head to my “secret spot” across the levee to just lay and think…”
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![A demonstration by various activists calling on President Joe Biden to not compromise on election promises regarding climate change, health care, jobs and social justice on May 24, 2021 in Washington, DC]()
Politico — Could the voting rights fight hinder climate and energy policies?
“Communities of color are more likely to support pollution controls, renewable energy and other climate policies than white communities…”
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How We Should Be Looking at Climate Action
Symone D Sanders speaks to “Our Climate” Executive Director Jasmine Davenport about whether the Biden administration is doing enough to address climate change, and what individuals can do to make a difference.
