Tianna Shaw-Wakeman is an environmental and racial justice activist. She holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California where she graduated as the first Black University Valedictorian in USC’s 140+ year history for the Class of 2021. Currently, Tianna serves as the Environmental Justice Program Director for non-profit Black Women for Wellness (BWW) where she works to advance the health and well-being of Black women and girls by engaging in community-focused research, empowerment, and advocacy. Through her work at BWW, she is actively engaged in efforts to address environmental inequities pushed on communities of color in South LA – in particular the reality that Black people are overexposed & underprotected from toxic pollution in their built environment.

Tianna has been recognized by Good Morning America, as a Coming Clean Movement Leader, and she’s spoken at the Summit of America’s, the LA Times Book Festival, the LA Green Business Council, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), the LA World Affairs Council, the Hollywood Climate Summit, and as a guest lecturer at USC, UC Berkeley, U Riverside, and Occidental College. Previously, she served on the Mayor’s Youth Council for Climate Action, was nominated to the LA City Climate Emergency Mobilization Commission, and she was a board member for the LA League of Conservation Voters.

Tianna’s efforts come from a belief that we can all be liberated to enjoy thriving lives free from the oppression of white supremacy and capitalism, but only if we prioritize intersectionality and raise the voices of those most harmed to find solutions.