Strengthening Black Communities: Effective Approaches to Address Data Center Vulnerabilities

The race to create data centers is escalating as firms seek enhanced computational capabilities for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency use. These massive complexes are expanding rapidly across the United States, consuming vast amounts of energy and water while exacerbating pollution levels. Unfortunately, they frequently spring up in Black and marginalized neighborhoods that are already burdened with industrial fallout. A stark example is Boxtown, Memphis, an area shaped by the legacy of formerly enslaved people post-Civil War, now hosting 18 facilities that emit harmful toxins. This has resulted in a cancer rate that is quadruple the national average and elevated asthma incidences. Recently, Elon Musk's xAI expedited the construction of the largest AI data center nearby. Following this, local air quality has deteriorated, with significant increases in nitrogen dioxide levels. Activists from Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) are vigorously opposing these expansions, partnering with environmental groups to monitor air quality and advocate for health protections, striving for environmental justice in Boxtown and beyond.