The Revelator - Heather McTeer Toney

Heather McTeer Toney

Heather McTeer Toney is an attorney, environmentalist, speaker, and writer. She was the first Black, first female, and youngest mayor elected in Greenville, Mississippi, at age twenty-seven. In 2014, she was appointed by President Barack Obama as regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency's Southeast Region. Formerly the senior director for Moms Clean Air Force and vice president of community engagement for the Environmental Defense Fund, Heather currently serves as the executive director for the Beyond Petrochemicals Campaign. She is frequently featured on various networks and outlets, including CNN, Apple's The Problem with Jon Stewart, MSNBC, Democracy Now!, Fox News, the New York Times, Washington Post and DAME. Heather lives with her husband and three children in Oxford, Mississippi.

Young Black hands holding soil and a sprouting plant

Book Excerpts

Help the Youth Believe There’s More: A Reflection on Higher Risk Environments and Climate Crisis in the Black Community

If we want to change behavior and protect our communities, we need to change belief. That requires mentorship — and embracing Black culture and history.

June 19, 2024

Keith Strickland and Heather McTeer Toney

If we want to change behavior and protect our communities, we need to change belief. That requires mentorship — and embracing Black culture and history.