06/02/2026
Recently, frontline leaders from Memphis came together to discuss one of the most urgent environmental justice battles happening right now — the fight against xAI's data center expansion and its implications for communities on the front lines of the tech boom.
Our Programs & Engagement Manager Ena Coleman moderated the conversation and captured the stakes perfectly:
"Across the country, frontline leaders are proving that community-led organizing can challenge even the largest tech expansion. But as billions flow into data infrastructure—not communities—real investment in local leadership is essential to protect communities and redefine what equitable development looks like."
One message came through clearly: data centers are not an inevitability. Communities have the right to shape what development looks like, ask hard questions, demand accountability, and determine what investments align with their needs and future.
Thank you to panelists LaTricea Adams of Young, Gifted & Green, KeShaun Pearson of Memphis Community Against Pollution , and Sarah Houston of Protect Our Aquifer for a rich and necessary conversation — and to our co-host Data Center Advocacy Hub for bringing it together.