The NAACP convened alongside Environmental and Climate Justice advocates in a press conference dedicated to addressing the prevalence of big tech in Black and Brown communities.
Held on Saturday, the press conference, known officially as “The Frontline Framework: A Tech Without Pollution,” was part of a two-day event where the NAACP and the advocates outlined their demands for big tech companies. It was attended by Rep. Justin Pearson, the Alternatives for Community and Environment, the Memphis Community Against Pollution, Young, Gifted and Greed, as well as the No Desert Data Center Coalition.
At the event, the NAACP and the activists addressed the serious health issues big tech’s data centers force upon Black and Brown communities, calling for stricter regulation on emissions.
Along with stricter guidelines enforced upon these tech companies, the advocates called for more comprehensive assessments before any projects are started, investments in clean technologies and more transparency. The leaders also highlighted the need for community members’ voices to be heard and for long-term economic investments.
“Because of white supremacy and systemic racism, for decades, polluters have been able to unabashedly march into places that have been historically excluded from environmental decisions that impact them the most,” said the Director of the Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at NAACP, Abre’ Conner, at the event. “This convening reflects the intersectional civil rights approach to environmental and climate issues that have always been at the crux of this approach.”
The press conference was officially held in Memphis, a city that has been plagued by multiple data center plans.
Most recently, Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, installed methane gas turbines in the city. For over a year, the company has operated out of South Memphis without alleged proper permits in a predominantly Black neighborhood despite community protests.
Approximately 35 turbines were installed, according to a satellite image obtained by the NAACP. With the emissions, the gas turbines have been linked to alarming levels of formaldehyde, a gas that is absorbed through the lungs and through skin in some cases.
Formaldehyde has been proven to have hazardous effects, with scientists linking it to higher rates of asthma, cancer, inflammation of the stomach and eczema. The NAACP has already addressed the data center, announcing plans to sue the company over its impact on the community.
EdgeConneX and Expedient are among multiple other companies that also have data centers in Memphis.
As of now, Memphis is identified as the city that has the most asthma cases in Tennessee, as the asthma rate is approximately two times that of the national average.
“More tech companies are building AI infrastructure, but this innovation comes at a cost, and Black and Brown communities aren’t going to pay for it,” said Conner at the press conference.
