by Rev. Earle Fisher, Tennessee Lookout
July 30, 2025

Memphians in the predominantly Black Whitehaven and Westwood are asked to celebrate a 25% “community benefits agreement ” tied to Elon Musk’s  xAI project. But we need to be honest: what does that number really mean, and how did we get there?

This isn’t about the spirit of the Community Benefits Ordinance. I believe in the idea of codifying corporate accountability and setting a floor for how developments should reinvest in the communities they impact. That’s progress. But the substance of what’s been agreed to in this case falls short.

The percentage of the ordinance feels arbitrary. To be clear, the target isn’t grounded in Memphis precedent, nor is it tethered to a formal Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) model as seen in other cities where tax subsidies or public-private partnerships are involved. In fact, the figure appears to be more aspirational than accountable. It feels like more of a marketing metric than a mandate.

The number isn’t tied to the racial and economic demographics of the neighborhoods most affected. It hasn’t been publicly unpacked or defended in ways that help everyday people understand the math. 

And if we’re talking about environmental and economic justice in places like Westwood and Whitehaven — neighborhoods that are over 90% Black and still healing from decades of environmental harm and economic divestment — then why 25%? Why not 50%? Why not 65%, the percentage of Black people in Memphis?

What we’re being asked to accept feels like a floor built more on political pragmatism than moral clarity and monetary necessity.

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This is not an indictment of city or county leaders. I know many of them are working in good faith and under complicated circumstances. But that’s exactly why we must pause and assess the deeper patterns that keep repeating themselves. Because once again, we’re in a position where Black communities are expected to celebrate symbolic wins that don’t fully reflect the weight of what we’re being asked to carry.

We’re told xAI is a win for Memphis. But the Shelby County Health Department granted permits for Colossus I and the plant was activated before most of the public even understood what was happening. Colossus II is already underway. The permitting process, though technically legal, has clearly failed to ensure sufficient environmental oversight or community protection on the front end. That’s a policy problem, not just a public relations one.

And it’s why I support the legal challenges currently underway, led by the Southern Environmental Law Center, the NAACP, Memphis Community Against Pollution (MCAP) and Young, Gifted & Green. Their collective efforts to appeal the air permits are not just about slowing a development, they are about protecting people. About pushing for the kind of procedural integrity that should’ve been there in the first place.

We need more elected officials to stand with them, not just in press conferences, but in policy. We need laws that close the loopholes that allow corporations to go 364 days without regulation, exploiting silence, confusion, or lack of clarity. Because without clearer laws, stronger oversight, and enforceable timelines, what’s to stop this from happening again?

That’s where the CBO falls short. The financial figure, in theory, is a step in the right direction. But without transparent particulars and processes, it’s just a number. A decent move, yes, but dangerously incomplete.

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I also have a lingering unease about how this CBO framework might end up intersecting with broader issues of public safety. In a city still reeling from the Department of Justice report on the Memphis Police Department’s pattern and practice of excessive force and racial bias, it’s hard to separate the enthusiasm around corporate expansion from the silence around state-sanctioned violence. 

Community members deserve more than job training and infrastructure improvements.  We deserve protection, transparency, and a political apparatus that prioritizes their safety as much as it does Silicon Valley’s satisfaction. We must ensure the funds for this initiative are not absorbed by an already burdensome budget item allocated to public safety. 

Because here’s the hard truth: these projects are not guaranteed to last. If the economics stop working in billionaire Musk’s favor, he can — and likely will — leave. The infrastructure, the environmental risks, the political fallout? That stays with us. And unless we’re willing to build protections before the damage is done, we’ll continue being stuck in this cycle of reactive outrage instead of proactive justice.

This is why transparency, not just transaction, matters. The public deserves to understand how these deals are made, how these numbers are chosen, and what accountability mechanisms are in place. We deserve more imagination and courage from our leaders about what “benefit” really means in Black communities that have historically been treated as bargaining chips instead of partners.

This isn’t about being anti-progress or anti-technology. It’s about being pro-people. It’s about making sure that innovation doesn’t mean exploitation. That equity is more than a buzzword. That justice is built into the system, not tacked on as a press release.

Because if we don’t ask deeper questions now, we’ll keep getting answers that leave our people behind.

And I, for one, am not willing to accept that. 

Not now. 

Not ever.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com.

The post An arbitrary “community benefits agreement” for Musk project gives no justice for Black Memphians appeared first on tennesseelookout.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Left-Leaning

This content critiques corporate influence and environmental justice issues, particularly focusing on racial and economic equity for Black communities impacted by Elon Musk’s xAI project in Memphis. The emphasis on corporate accountability, environmental oversight, systemic racial disparities, and support for community-driven legal challenges aligns with progressive and social justice-oriented perspectives. While it acknowledges the complexities faced by local leaders, the piece advocates for stronger public protections and transparency, consistent with left-leaning priorities on equity and environmental justice.