Nashville residents protest proposed data center at Fisk University
Fisk University alumni and North Nashville community members, led by Rep. Justin Jones, are protesting a proposed data center on the Fisk campus. This project, along with another proposed data center near the Nashville Zoo, will be discussed at an upcoming Planning Commission meeting. Opponents argue that if data centers are unsuitable for a zoo, they are also unsuitable for an HBCU.
Fisk University alumni and North Nashville community members, led by State Representative Justin Jones, gathered on campus Wednesday to vocalize their opposition to a proposed data center development on the university's grounds. The protest highlights growing community concerns over the expansion of data centers in Nashville.
This project, alongside another contested data center planned near the Nashville Zoo, is scheduled for discussion at a Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. Rep. Jones urged local residents to treat the proposed Fisk University data center with the same urgency as the zoo-adjacent project, stating, "If AI data centers are not good for a zoo, then it's not good for an HBCU." The opposition underscores a broader debate within Nashville regarding suitable locations for advanced technological infrastructure.