Elijah Mckenzie-Jackson

Elijah McKenzie-Jackson (born 28 December 2003) is a visual artist and activist based in London and New York City. McKenzie-Jackson is co-founder at WaicUp and an organizer of Youth Strike for Climate, helping found Fridays for Future UK in February 2019.

McKenzie-Jackson has used art as a form of protest as well as organized climate protests across Europe and South America and has spoken at the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the House of Lords, EU Parliament, outside the G7 Conference and in the Amazonian Rainforest.

Early life and education McKenzie-Jackson born in Walthamthow, London, lives with his maternal grandmother, Jean Young. McKenzie-Jackson was inspired to merge environmental activism and when he first heard about climate change in his school, Woodbridge High School, through doing research and watching documentaries. "I learned a tiny bit about climate change in school. I started watching documentaries, doing my own research, and I got very frustrated. I didn't understand why no politicians were acting" - Elijah McKenzie-Jackson, The Guardian. as well his commentary on societal issues like the divestment away from fossil fuels. He is the Founder and Head Artist of the civic art innovation: EMJ Earth, where all his art is published.“In my work, I craft large-scale art installations, paint murals, and curate exhibits that vividly depict the impacts of the climate emergency.”

Mckenzie-Jackson, first public launch of art, early 2019, was with a photo series named “How would you feel?” at age 15.

McKenzie-Jackson released his first NFT collection, depicting three pictures of clowns. The collection "The Mockery of Money Behind Destruction" aimed to increase public awareness of how the oil industry's revenues are used to fuel the global warming issue.

In 2023, Mckenzie-Jackson launched a painting named: “I <3 Paris” This painting addressed issues of climate change and the Paris Agreement.

Political and social themes McKenzie-Jackson was involved in the School Strike for Climate movement. He served as coordinator at UK Student Climate Network and an organizer at the Stop Trump Coalition. thumb McKenzie-Jackson first started climate striking on February 15, 2019, in Parliament Square, London, and helped organise the 20 September 2019 London climate strike with UK Student Climate Network, breaking England's national record for the biggest environmental protest with over 100,000 demonstrators in attendance.

Voyage to Brazilian Amazon Rainforest In November 2019, McKenzie-Jackson went on an expedition into the Amazonian rainforest, where he learned about social and environmental injustice and he met with well known activists such as the Pussy Riots and Chief Raoni.

Hunger strike against West Cumbria coal mine McKenzie-Jackson in February 2020, went on hunger strike over the proposed first deep coal mine in 30 years by UK Government in West Cumbria. McKenzie-Jackson coined the phrase, "won't eat until new coal mine is scrapped". He ended his hunger strike on Day 10 when he was invited into the UK Parliament to speak to politicians about the proposed West Cumbria coal mine. McKenzie-Jackson's 10-day hunger strike triggered actions and protests against the proposed project in Whitehaven. McKenzie-Jackson then, one year later in 2021 started his second 10-day hunger-strike, where he gathered 111,475 petition signatures in collaboration with Coal Action Network in order to appeal Robert Jenrick decision regarding the West Cumbria coal mine.

COP27 Scrutiny on LGBTQ+ Rights In July 2022, McKenzie-Jackson and his partner, Jerome Foster II, co-authored a letter to the UNFCCC to call on the United Nations to move COP27 climate summit due to Egypt's "LGBTQ+ torture, woman slaughter, and civil rights suppression" he says after they started looking into logistics of traveling to Sharm El-Sheikh. As McKenzie-Jackson is an openly-public bisexual figure, him and his partner "might be targeted" McKenzie-Jackson 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.”

Personal life McKenzie-Jackson has spoken about his clinically diagnosed depression due to climate grief. He stated in 2023, that art plays a critical role in the processing of his emotions and that painting is his escape. Mckenzie-Jackson is bisexual and has been in a public relationship with his partner, Jerome Foster II, since 2021.