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NAACP To File Lawsuit Against Elon Musk's South Memphis AI Firm Over Pollution In Black Neighborhoods

The NAACP plans to sue Elon Musk ‘s Memphis, TN-based AI company, xAI, over concerns about air pollution stemming from a supercomputer facility allegedly operating gas turbines without proper permits. Represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), the NAACP filed its legal challenge on Tuesday as the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) reviews xAI’s permit application, according to The Associated Press. Activists and opponents say the facility is polluting predominantly Black neighborhoods in South Memphis. The NAACP sent a letter to the SCHD and Memphis Light, Gas, and Water on May 29, demanding an emergency order to halt xAI’s operations or, at the very least, cite the company for violating clean air standards, AFROTECH™ previously reported. “While data centers are becoming more prevalent across the country, there is a growing need to guarantee transparency regarding environmental and climate concerns, the burden these centers have on communities, and ensuring...

Jun 18, 2025

Op-Ed: America's Embrace of Cryptocurrency Could Lead To A Financial Crisis

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. In recent years, cryptocurrency has been viewed as a risky investment, hyped up by the mega-rich and stealthy hackers. Now, thanks to President Donald Trump, America is fully embracing cryptocurrency as a legitimate form of currency. Without any guardrails or protections, the U.S. could see itself heading towards another financial crisis. Cryptocurrency was anonymously created in 2008 but didn’t gain mainstream appeal until around 2020. The government, or any banking authority, doesn’t have oversight over the digital currency , making it highly volatile. While the Biden administration pursued cryptocurrency fraudsters, the Trump administration had a different approach, embracing the industry. President Trump signed an executive order in the first week of his second term supporting cryptocurrency and even released his own meme coin. There are rarely any regulations on crypto, and from the policies...

Jun 6, 2025

Op-Ed: Data Centers Are Needed For AI, But Black Communities Could End Up Paying The Cost

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Data centers have been in the news lately due to their connection to AI, but they have been around in some form or capacity for decades. Data centers originally were created to hold mainframe computers because they would tend to overheat, needing to be stored in climate-controlled rooms. This was at a time when more businesses began relying on computers for their day-to-day operations, and things needed to be moved from single rooms to larger dedicated facilities. What caused data centers to explode in popularity was the rise of personal computing. With more and more data needing to be stored, more facilities needed to be created in order to house all of this new data that was being generated every day, not just from businesses but from people living their lives as well due to the adoption of mobile devices. What exponentially increased the amount of data centers was when software started “eating...

Jun 5, 2025

NAACP Demands Shutdown Of Elon Musk’s xAI Facility Built Near Historic Black Community In Memphis

The NAACP is calling on Memphis, TN, officials to shut down Colossus, the controversial supercomputer facility operated by Elon Musk’s xAI, TechCrunch reports. Located in South Memphis, the facility, according to the outlet, is under fire for allegedly operating dozens of gas turbines without proper permits and releasing hazardous pollutants into surrounding communities. In a letter sent via email to the Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) and Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW), on May 29, 2025, NAACP leaders demanded an emergency order halting operations. If a full shutdown isn’t possible, they urged city officials to at least cite the company for violating clean air standards. The case, now known as the NAACP Colossus complaint, is gaining national attention and posing more profound queries regarding the relationship between environmental justice and high-tech development in Black communities. Pollution In A Historically Black Neighborhood Boxtown, a historically Black...

Jun 3, 2025

Op-Ed: Donald Trump’s First 100 Days Sent The Tech Industry Into Survival Mode

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. The culture and energy of the tech industry has changed overnight. The industry once stereotyped as a bastion of liberalism, which has a history of backing more liberal candidates in presidential elections, has changed. This all became more apparent during the 2024 presidential election between Kamala Harris and now President Donald Trump . During the election, the industry was split in a way that felt unprecedented to those who had been in the industry for the past 20 years. When Trump was first elected to office, his presidency appeared to be one that the industry would resist, given his first term as president as well as his 2020 campaign. He had policy views and beliefs that were against what the tech industry stood for, specifically around the topics of immigration, social media moderation, and climate change. What we saw leading up to the 2024 presidential election was not only less...

May 22, 2025

Tesla CEO Elon Musk Admits Full Self-Driving Technology Isn’t Ready Even After Customers Paid For The Upgrade

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has acknowledged that the final version of the company’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology is not yet ready for public release — and there is no definitive date for when it will be available. During Tesla’s conference call following the release of its Q1 2025 financial results, Musk updated shareholders about the company’s self-driving plans, which he emphasized as essential to Tesla’s future, according to Daily Galaxy. Since 2016, Tesla has marketed vehicles claiming they have the necessary hardware for FSD features — significantly boosting sales of the FSD package — which can cost buyers up to $12,000. However, during the call, Musk said, “We’re going to have to upgrade the Hardware 3 computer” to achieve true self-driving capabilities, the outlet reported. The announcement sparked backlash from customers who felt misled, prompting Tesla to cover the costs of upgrading affected vehicles to the newer Hardware 4 — a move analysts estimate could reach hundreds of...

Apr 25, 2025

Op-Ed: I Believe Billionaires Have The Influence To Stop Trump Tariffs

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Billionaire business leaders turned against President Donald Trump as he implemented sweeping tariffs with other countries, which have amounted to billions of dollars lost. Many of the billionaires who have pushed back against the Trump tariffs have also endorsed him for the 2024 presidential election. One of those billionaires, Bill Ackman, warned against tariffs, likening them to an “economic nuclear war” in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter). He also claimed that the tariffs weren’t what he voted for, despite Trump speaking on tariffs early on in the election. How Will Tariffs Affect The American Consumer? Unwarranted tariffs will not only decimate our economy but also hurt our already fragile standing on the world stage. In retaliation, China has raised tariffs on American goods to 125%. Most business leaders, economic experts, and other world leaders are confused over Trump’s misguided...

Apr 17, 2025

Tech Immigrant Employees Advised Not To Leave US Amid Uncertainty Over Trump Administration's Policies

The tech industry faces uncertainty and fear due to the Trump administration’s strict immigration policies, leading companies to advise employees on visas not to leave the United States because they might not be allowed to return. During President Donald Trump’s first term, the denial rates for high-skilled visas increased to 15%. Law firms have warned that a similar upward trend is possible during his current presidency , according to The Washington Post. “What we’re seeing right now is just a lot of worry and panic,” said Principal Attorney Malcolm Goeschl of Goeschl Law, a San Francisco, CA, firm specializing in business immigration for the tech industry . “It seems like [the administration is] just getting more and more momentum, and we don’t know what’s around the corner.” Silicon Valley , Northern California’s global hub for technological innovation, is known for housing many of the world’s largest tech companies and producing groundbreaking inventions. Tech giants in the...

Apr 1, 2025

Is This The Start Of The End Of The Cybertruck Era? Tesla's Cybertruck Recall Impacts Over 46,000 Vehicles

The Tesla Cybertruck was designed to turn heads. With its rugged, stainless-steel body and futuristic, almost sci-fi design, it looks more like something out of a movie than your typical pickup truck. It wasn’t made to blend in, nor was Elon Musk. Like the Cybertruck, Elon Musk has become impossible to ignore, inserting himself into the political and economic framework of the nation with the same brash insistence that has defined his business empire. Now, with Tesla recalling over 46,000 Cybertrucks—nearly every unit on the road—Musk faces something he has long evaded: accountability, based on a Reuters report. The trucks’ stainless-steel trim panels are coming off, a fitting metaphor for a company whose once-unquestioned dominance in the EV sector is beginning to show fractures​. This recall is more than a mechanical failure. It is a referendum on Musk’s leadership, shifting allegiances, and unrelenting attempt to weld his corporate interests to the machinery of American politics....

Mar 21, 2025

Op-Ed: A Tesla Boycott Is The Right Protest Against Elon Musk And DOGE

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Elon Musk and his DOGE agency continue to make cuts and layoffs across the federal government despite voter’s outspoken opposition. They’ve taken their frustration out on Musk’s electric car company, Tesla, by boycotting the brand. Voters across the country have been attending town halls with both Republican and Democratic leaders to voice their concerns about Musk’s involvement in the federal government as an unelected official. Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been laid off as a result of DOGE cuts, with several thousand being reinstated as a result of an order from a federal judge . For the past few weeks, protestors have been throwing eggs and vandalizing Tesla cars—especially the cyber truck, which has been ridiculed for its unfinished, robotic appearance. They’ve set fire to Tesla service centers and announced a general boycott of the company. The boycott isn’t just a domestic...

Mar 21, 2025

Op-Ed: The Costs Of A Trade War Will Be Felt Long After Prices Start To Go Down

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. During his second term, Donald Trump has continued to change how the United States operates with its allies. Recently, Trump and JD Vance met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House to ease tensions with the current administration and finalize a mineral deal intended to be celebrated following their televised meeting. However, the way Zelenskyy was treated during the exchange was a shocking break from modern diplomatic norms. This incident is just one example of a broader shift—one that becomes clearer as the Trump administration continues to signal a closer alignment with Russia, making its willingness to bully allies increasingly apparent. Previously, Donald Trump claimed that tariffs on Canada and Mexico would be paused before they were set to go into effect earlier this year. CNN reported that he kept to his word and imposed a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports...

Mar 14, 2025

SpaceX’s Starship Explodes Again: What Went Wrong And What’s Next?

For a company that prides itself on pushing the boundaries in space exploration , SpaceX just hit another major roadblock—literally. The highly anticipated test flight of its Starship mega rocket ended in disaster (again) after controllers lost contact with the upper-stage vehicle just minutes into the launch. This marks Starship’s second consecutive failure, raising serious questions: What’s causing these explosions? Has this happened before? And what is SpaceX doing to fix it? Let’s break it all down. Why Did This Happen? According to an NBC News report, the launch kicked off with promise. Near Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. ET, Starship blasted off from SpaceX’s Starbase for its eighth test, soaring toward the skies with the power and spectacle you’d expect from the world’s most advanced rocket. But then—like déjà vu—disaster struck just over eight minutes in. Live video showed the upper-stage vehicle spinning uncontrollably, and within seconds,...

Mar 10, 2025

Op-Ed: Elon Musk's DOGE Cuts Could Backfire On Republicans

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. One of the main goals of the Trump administration has been to remove Washington’s “elites” from office. Now that billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency agency have instituted mass layoffs, some supporters have buyer’s remorse. With midterm elections coming up, it’s possible that DOGE cuts could hurt the GOP and Trump administration as long as they continue. In town halls across the country, from Georgia to Idaho to Missouri, Republican lawmakers are facing backlash from their constituents for aligning with Musk’s influence in government and continuing to spew Donald Trump’s lies. They’ve assured constituents that rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, along with implementing mass deportations, are effective policies that serve the American people. But it’s clear from the round of boos seen in videos on social media that their voters aren’t buying it....

Mar 3, 2025

Op-Ed: How Trump's Cutting Of Federal Jobs Hurts Black Workers

Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™. Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have been wreaking havoc on the American people, from their quest to gain access to sensitive information within the government to assisting President Donald Trump with his plan to lay off federal employees and dismantle government agencies like the Department of Education . Federal jobs were once a symbol of stable employment, but with mass layoffs and confusion surrounding what jobs still exist, that sentiment may not exist anymore. So far this year, about 200,000 federal workers have had their roles eliminated and 75,000 federal employees have been laid off, with more to come as DOGE continues to comb through federal agencies. Agencies have done hiring freezes, offered buyouts, and mass-fired workers. Some workers doubt that they will even receive the settlement that the administration is offering. Many of these attempts to cut down...

Feb 24, 2025

Is Misinformation The Real Enemy Of DEI? What The Don Lemon Interview With Elon Musk Reveals

A March 2024 interview between journalist Don Lemon and Tesla CEO Elon Musk is spinning the block and finding new life, resurfacing across social media feeds and news cycles amid the growing backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Although the conversation is nearly a year old, it has gained fresh traction with the recent policy rollbacks under the Trump administration and corporations scaling back DEI initiatives. The interview, which touched on topics ranging from hate speech to the controversial “great replacement theory,” has become a focal point for examining common misconceptions about DEI, particularly in professional environments. In the interview, Lemon directly challenged Musk’s assertions that DEI initiatives are detrimental, particularly in fields like medicine. Musk claimed, “If the standards for passing medical exams and becoming a doctor, or especially something like a surgeon, are lowered, then the probability that the surgeon will make a...

Feb 7, 2025