Fisk Data Center Plot Exposed. Justin Jones Says Black Nashville Is Being Targeted

Fisk University announced a $1 billion 'Quantum Leap' initiative, including a $400 million 'Innovation Center' that will house a 30-megawatt, 70,000-square-foot data center in North Nashville. This plan has met significant resistance from students, alumni, and local residents who view it as an imposition on a historically Black community already suffering from environmental injustices.

Fisk President announced a $1 billion initiative including a $400 million innovation center with a data center. State Representative Justin Jones stated it would be a '30-MW, 70,000-sq ft data center in the heart of North Nashville, the heart of the black community.'

Opponents argue that placing an industrial-sized data center in North Nashville constitutes 'digital redlining' and environmental racism. They highlight that the community already experiences high rates of asthma and respiratory illnesses due to historical infrastructure decisions (like forcing an interstate through the area) and fear the data center will exacerbate these health issues through noise, water, and air pollution.

Jones stated, 'North Nashville has some of the highest rates of asthma, respiratory illness because they forced the interstate through the black community in the 1960s... and now they're trying that same tactic with these AI data centers under the guise of innovation.' He called it 'digital redlining.'

Critics point out a double standard in Nashville's approach to data center development. While city council members and the mayor expressed concerns and opposition to a proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo due to potential harm to animals, they appear to support the Fisk project located in a dense residential Black neighborhood.

Jones noted, 'there's another proposal in Nashville to build a data center by the zoo. And you have council members and even the mayor saying, 'We will not support this by the zoo... because of the harm that it'll do to the animals... but we're going to build this type of data center in the black neighborhood.''

State Representative Justin Jones, a former John Lewis fellow at Fisk, claims his fellowship and course on climate colonialism and environmental racism were canceled by the university president after she questioned if his curriculum would conflict with her data center plans. This action is seen as an attempt to silence critical voices and prevent open discussion about the project's potential negative impacts.

Jones recounted, 'the president we met and she asked me in her office if my course would conflict with her plan to build this AI data center because on my syllabus we talked about environmental racism... my course didn't last a week, they canceled my class... my fellowship had ended at Fisk.'

Fisk University's administration is accused of pushing the data center project through without adequate transparency or community input. They have not named the corporate partners involved in the $900 million investment, held no public town halls, and announced the project after students had left for summer break, leading to widespread distrust.

Jones stated, 'She hasn't even told us what corporation is pledging this $900 million.' He added, 'All of this is being done without informing with a no no town hall meetings. Not letting the people who live in the public housing next door.'