Young, Gifted & Green

09/03/2026

On behalf of Young, Gifted & Green we mourn the passing of trailblazer Gloria Steinem. Gloria’s activism was deeply intersectional, bridging the gaps between women's rights, civil rights, and environmental justice. She knew that frontline communities and women globally suffer first and worst from ecological degradation. To honor Gloria, we must keep fighting for a world where people and the planet thrive together in equity.

09/02/2026

While Young, Gifted & Green works nationally, we can't let the day go by without celebrating one of our anchor cities and the birthplace of our founder Memphis, TN for . Today we stood on business and maintained the history and tradition of resistance and the fight for justice, civil and human rights demanding a moratorium for dirty data centers. So proud of the city, mane🥹

Thank you Action News 5 for this amazing coverage of a legacy of activism and people power in 🙏🏿

09/01/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 Tribe 7 EJ Griots, the largest cohort to date representing 3 states and the District of Columbia! This year our Griots will be working on drafting local, state and federal data center policy. Next stop is CAPITOL HILL for Young, Gifted & Green Day on the Hill during the Congressional Black Caucus ALC!

08/31/2026

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT📣 Rep. Justin J. Pearson will be our 40 Under 40 Key Note Speaker 9/17 /26 6PM at 18th Street Lounge in Washington, DC during the Congressional Black Caucus ALC! REMINDER: Nominations closed TONIGHT at 11:59 PM ET. Learn more at younggiftedgreen40.org.

08/30/2026

Environmental justice is about more than pollution. It is also about who controls the infrastructure in our communities, who makes decisions and who bears the consequences.

Alabama Power is reportedly using its utility poles and relationships with local governments to help expand surveillance cameras and license plate readers across Alabama. Infrastructure intended to provide an essential public service is now also being used to track people’s movements—often without meaningful transparency or community input.

Communities already burdened by pollution, high utility costs and disinvestment deserve answers: Where are these cameras being placed? Who is being watched? Who controls the data? And were residents ever given a meaningful voice?

Read more: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29082026/alabama-power-flock-surveillance-cameras/

How Alabama Power became Flock’s longest-standing middleman.

08/29/2026

A Black family held onto its Mississippi land for four generations. Now, noise and pollution concerns from a power plant serving Elon Musk’s AI data centers in the Memphis area have driven them away.

Progress that displaces families and treats Black communities as sacrifice zones is not progress. AI expansion cannot come at the expense of our health, homes and heritage.

Join Young, Gifted & Green in demanding accountability, stronger environmental protections and a real voice for the communities forced to bear the consequences. We must organize, advocate and hold decision-makers and corporations accountable—because our communities are not sacrifice zones.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/elon-musk-data-centers-mississippi-family/

A plant in Southaven, Mississippi, that powers Elon Musk's SpaceXAI data centers in the area has sparked backlash from residents concerned about noise and air pollution.

08/29/2026

Thank you to PolicyLink & the Water Equity & Climate Resilience (WECR) Caucus for hosting us at this year's annual conference. Before there was the threat of data centers, has always been a champion for clean water💧

08/27/2026

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 8 on our podcast The Green Agenda. In this episode we recognize the contributions and economic
impact of Black entrepreneurs and business owners, especially Black Farmers. August is Black Business Month and a perfect time for a conversation about the Farm Bill- a massive, legislative package that Congress typically renews every five years which directs national policies related to agriculture, food security, nutrition assistance, and land conservation. We’ll dig into personal stories and the history of Black farmers in the US and the ongoing fight for equal access in the South and accountability from public officials.
Host: Kayla Shannon Spelman College Alumna
Guest: Kellie Adesina Vice President, BGR Group’s Commerce and Infrastructure practice, Chair of the Board of Directors for the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), Founder, Black Professionals in Food and Agriculture

08/26/2026

MEMPHIS FAM! We are officially at capacity and no longer accepting requests. This effort was 100% volunteer run and funded (not government support of any kind). We are grateful to have supported 100+ families with generators (THEY ARE SOLD OUT YALL), food and water at $10k spent through a 100% grassroots, community effort. We understand the frustration as the majority of our volunteers were also without power and some without water and AC.

We pray that power is returned for all. We will get through this, 🙏🏿

08/25/2026

September 17, 2026
6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
18th Street Lounge, Washington, DC

Join us for the 5th Annual 40 Under 40 Awards + After Party! We're honoring Black, Latinx, and Indigenous environmental justice leaders under 40 who are fighting the climate crisis and dismantling environmental racism.

FREE general admission 6:00 to 7:30 PM
$25 after 7:30 PM | $100 VIP.

Metro or ride share recommended.

Know someone doing the work? Nominations close August 31 at 11:59 PM ET.

Details and nominations: www.younggiftedgreen40.org