Tougaloo students apply HBCU’s legacy of civil rights activism to data center boom
Tougaloo University students and alumni organized a community event opposing hyperscale data center development, focusing on environmental risks, water and power impacts, noise pollution and effects on predominantly Black communities. The discussion centered on Amazon’s Ridgeland campus near the college, while residents in Jefferson Davis County submitted a petition seeking a development moratorium.
Tougaloo students and alumni led a Stop Data Centers training event on campus, organized with Mississippi for a Just World, to examine the health, environmental and community effects of hyperscale facilities. Speakers criticized Amazon’s data center campus near Tougaloo, warning about noise, air pollution from gas-powered turbines, water rights and potential strain on Jackson’s already troubled water system and regional power grid.
The activism comes as Mississippi officials promote data centers as major economic development projects. Gov. Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Legislature supported legislation enabling Amazon’s investment in Madison County, while Jackson Councilman Ashby Foote defended data centers as a potential source of city revenue. Opposition is also growing elsewhere: Jefferson Davis County residents submitted a petition with more than 950 signatures requesting a moratorium, and District Attorney Scott Colom has called for a temporary statewide moratorium.