Young, Gifted & Green

06/18/2026

TONIGHT AT 6PM! Young Gifted & Green, 350.org, Black Voters Matter-Memphis, Memphis For All, Protect Our Aquifer, MCAP, Memphis Artist for Change, and Youth Minds United on the ground for a teach-in that will prepare you to organize around data center resistance, environmental justice, and civil rights challenges facing our communities.

There is still time to register now: https://bit.ly/LETmemphisBreathe.

06/18/2026

On behalf of Young, Gifted & Green, Climate Action Campaign, and the Environmental Defense Fund, we would like to invite you to join us for Season 6 Episode 6 on our podcast The Green Agenda. According to a recent Gallup poll, Seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of an AI data center in their local area, including 48% strongly opposed.

In this episode, we will sit down with Abre' Conner, Esq. from NAACP as we explore the environmental and social impacts of data centers in low-income neighborhoods, discussing grassroots movements advocating for cleaner technology and equitable development.

Host: Kayla Shannon | Spelman College Alumna

Guest: Abre' Conner, Esq. | Director of the Center for Environmental and Climate Justice,

Registration 🔗bit.ly/THEGREENAGENDA

06/15/2026

We are so grateful for our Flint Youth EJ Council Alum Melodie Marsh, a Flint Native and recent Howard University Graduate, who is still investing in communities in DC's Ward 7 in partnership with Councilman Wendell Feldman's Office. Flint Youth leaders serve at home and nationally💚

06/14/2026

🚨 Rural Alabama Residents Push Back on Proposed Data Center

A rural Alabama community is raising concerns about a proposed hyperscale data center, questioning its impact on water resources, infrastructure, and quality of life.

As AI fuels a nationwide data center boom, communities are asking:

💧 How will this affect local water supplies?

⚡ Who bears the infrastructure costs?

💼 Will residents see meaningful economic benefits?

Technology and economic development matter, but so does ensuring local voices are heard before major projects move forward.

Read more: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/10062026/rural-alabama-community-opposes-hyperscale-data-center/

In this rural Alabama community, some residents can’t flush their toilets. Developers want to build a state-of-the-art data center next door.

06/14/2026

Checkout this EXCELLENT resource from our friends at Children's Environmental Health Network 💚

Children cannot vote, but YOU can. We need political leaders at all levels of government who put the health of children, their future, and their families first. Check out the new Voter Guide for Children’s Environmental Health to find out how you can protect kids’ health and their environments in the 2026 elections. When children thrive, we all thrive!

Learn more in the comments.

06/13/2026

✊🏾 Lead Free South Memphis starts with community action.

Join Young, Gifted & Green and environmental justice leaders from across Memphis as we canvass homes impacted by lead exposure and connect residents with opportunities for FREE lead paint and water testing.

📅 June 27, 2026
⏰ 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Memphis Rox Climbing + Community
879 E. McLemore Ave.

Together, we can help protect families, raise awareness about lead exposure, and ensure residents have access to the resources they need for healthier homes and communities.

Whether you're an advocate, organizer, student, or community member, your support can make a difference.

🔗 Get involved: bit.ly/canvassmem

06/11/2026

🏗️ As the demand for AI and data centers continues to grow, communities across the country are asking an important question:

Who benefits, and who bears the cost?

In Flint, residents and community leaders are pushing for a pause on new data center development until the city can fully examine the potential impacts on water, energy, land use, and neighborhood quality of life. Supporters say communities deserve a seat at the table before major decisions are made.

Environmental justice means ensuring that residents are informed, heard, and protected—not after decisions are made, but before.

Read more:
https://www.flintbeat.com/flint-city-hall/our-people-dont-want-this-data-center-moratorium-moves-forward-for-flint-city-council-approval-5dab32f5

Flint leaders advance a one-year halt on data center projects, seeking time to plan protections as residents voice concerns and the city joins a growing nationa...

06/09/2026

🌎 Where you live should not determine the air you breathe.

A new report found that minority and lower-income communities across the Northeast are disproportionately located in the path of harmful emissions from fossil fuel power plants, raising serious concerns about environmental justice and public health.

Clean air is not a privilege. It is a basic right.

As we continue the transition to a cleaner energy future, we must ensure that communities that have carried the greatest environmental burdens are not left behind once again.

Read more:
https://baystatebanner.com/2026/06/03/minority-lower-income-communities-in-the-northeast-most-likely-to-be-in-the-path-of-harmful-power-plant-emissions/

Most fossil fuel power plants in the Northeast are located near environmental justice communities, a new report has found.

06/09/2026

GenZ to Save the World! We are so proud of our bestie Mari Copeny for speaking truth to power tonight at the Flint City Council Meeting, where a 12 month moratorium on data centers passed🙌🏿🙏🏿