NAACP, ECJ Advocates Release Guiding Principles to Protect Frontline Communities from Dirty Data Centers

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES

September 4, 2025

Contact: Communications@naacpnet.org

WASHINGTON -- The NAACP and Environmental and Climate Justice advocates release Guiding Principles for Big Tech companies to follow when building data centers in communities of color.

The Guiding Principles provide a framework for frontline communities to assert their rights, environmental and climate justice needs, and clear rules of engagement to prevent the spread of dirty data centers. Among other demands, it includes:

• We demand community-owned renewable energy.
• We demand that any commitments made must be legally binding and publicly disclosed.
• We demand corporate tax accountability for data center buildouts in communities.

The release of the Guiding Principles follows a convening at LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee of nearly 70 climate and community advocates, civil rights leaders, state and local NAACP leadership, environmental and climate justice organizations and coalition leads, unions, policy advocates, research hubs, and legal strategists.

"As AI continues to impact nearly every aspect of our lives, its infrastructure requirements will grow as well," said Abre' Conner, Director of the Center for Environmental and Climate Justice at NAACP. "We've seen firsthand how new technologies have been advanced at the expense of Black lives. And it became that communities need the tool to address this rapid expansion of dirty data centers, with a focus on how this expansion impacts frontline and fenceline neighborhoods, and that's what this framework does. We're done dying at the expense of a corporate bottom line."

These Guiding Principles come on the heels of NAACP's advocacy in Memphis on behalf of communities, including the appeal of xAI's permit for its South Memphis Data Center that is polluting the city with gas-burning turbine emissions, and filing its intent to sue xAI for its continued use of those turbines for that data center.

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The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.

NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.