With the rapid expansion of data centers driven by artificial intelligence, the tech economy is repeating historical patterns of environmental racism. Once again, marginalized communities are left to bear the costs of America’s “progress.”
Civil rights leader Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. defines environmental racism as the deliberate targeting of predominantly BIPOC and low-income communities for polluting industries and the placement of toxic waste. For decades, these neighborhoods have been exposed to harmful pollution from industrial sites built right next to where they live, work, and go to school. The resulting toxic dust, ash, soot, and chemicals have been proven to increase the risk of asthma, cancer, and other serious health problems.
This isn’t by accident. Over and over again, studies have shown that these environmental burdens aren’t evenly shared; they fall hardest on communities with the least political power and the fewest resources.
Long before artificial intelligence and data centers entered the conversation, environmental racism was already a deeply rooted reality in the United States. It has taken many forms: contaminated water, toxic air, industrial dumping, and the exploitation of land and sacred sites.
Perhaps the most widely recognized example is the Flint water crisis. In 2014, lead-contaminated water began flowing through the city’s taps. It wasn’t just a mistake; it was a failure of government at every level, and the residents most affected were overwhelmingly Black and low-income. Despite years of warnings and complaints, officials failed to act until irreversible harm had been done.
A few years later, nearby Benton Harbor faced nearly the same crisis: lead in the water, aging infrastructure, and a slow response from authorities. In both places, the consequences were devastating, especially for children, whose developing brains are particularly vulnerable to lead exposure. But the crises also spurred a powerful wave of community organizing, legal action, and policy change. Together with experts and advocates, residents pushed for solutions replacing pipes, distributing filters, and demanding federal accountability. Their fight helped ignite a national conversation about the dangers of lead in U.S. drinking water and prompted a federal commitment to replace all lead service lines within the next decade.
Today, Memphis faces a new chapter in this same struggle. Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has faced criticism for operating a massive data center in the predominantly Black neighborhood of Boxtown. The facility, intended to support the ‘Grok’ chatbot, is powered by 35 methane gas turbines that have operated without proper permits and are not equipped with the pollution controls usually required by federal regulations. These turbines emit pollutants like nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde, exacerbating health issues in a community already grappling with high asthma rates.
Today, Boxtown’s ZIP code is more than 90 percent Black, with a median household income of about $36,000. The area is also home to over 17 industrial facilities, some sharing an industrial park with xAI, that emit enough toxic pollution to be listed in the EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory.
At a recent Memphis City Council hearing, Boxtown resident Alexis Humphreys voiced her frustration and fear over the pollution caused by the nearby xAI data center. Holding up her asthma inhaler, she said, “I can’t breathe at home, it smells like gas outside. How come I can’t breathe at home and y’all get to breathe at home?” Her words powerfully capture the daily health struggles faced by community members living amid the facility’s harmful emissions.
Community leaders have also spoken out. KeShaun Pearson, executive director of Memphis Community Against Pollution, described the situation as a “human rights violation,” emphasizing that xAI’s actions are depriving residents of their right to clean air and a healthy environment.
In response to these concerns, the NAACP and the Southern Environmental Law Center have filed a lawsuit against xAI, alleging violations of the Clean Air Act. They argue that the operation of the turbines without proper permits and pollution controls has led to increased health risks for the community. Residents of Boxtown are calling for accountability and action to protect their health and environment from further harm.
This isn’t a new fight; it’s the latest chapter in a long struggle against environmental racism, corporate neglect, and systemic inequality. No community should be forced to choose between access to digital technology and the right to breathe clean air or drink safe water.
As we build the future of AI and cloud infrastructure, we must also decide what kind of future we’re building it in. Regulators, tech companies, and the broader public have a responsibility to treat data centers and digital infrastructure like any other major development, with transparency, accountability, and justice at the core. Equity and community power must guide this growth, not profit margins alone. Because progress that comes at the expense of vulnerable communities is not progress at all.
