John,

Justice Democrats’ new 2026 primary challenger, State Rep. Justin J. Pearson, isn’t even in Congress yet, and he’s already taking on billionaire Elon Musk.

Justin lives 3 miles away from xAI’s South Memphis data center, aka Colossus, which was established in 2024 to power the xAI chatbot known as Grok. The monstrous data center is using 33 methane-powered gas turbines, when it only has legal permits for 15. As a result, this facility:

• Consumes enough electricity that could instead power 100,000 homes;
• Increases smog levels in Memphis by 30-60 percent;
• Produces 1,200 to 2,000 tons of smog-forming nitrogen oxides annually, which are linked to higher rates of asthma and respiratory illnesses.

It’s happening in a poor, predominantly Black community plagued by a long history of industrial pollution and resulting health issues. As Justin pointed out in his MSNBC op-ed, his community has:

• Received an “F” for air quality from the American Heart Association in four of the last five years (and a “D” in the fifth year);
• Been dubbed an “asthma capital” of the United States;
• Experienced the most asthma-related emergency room visits in the state.

South Memphis is being treated as a sacrifice zone for Big Tech, and it’s a perfect example of a nationwide trend under Trump’s oligarchic administration: our health and well-being are being threatened for the benefit of billionaires and their corporate profit.

And if tech billionaires like Musk are allowed to get away with this environmental racism — all while our federal environmental protections are ripped to shreds by Trump — more communities across the country will be at risk of the same harm.

As a state representative and community activist, Justin is directly fighting back to stop this public health emergency created by Musk and corporate greed — we desperately need more of that kind of fight from the Democratic Party.

Help Justice Democrats send Justin to Congress next year so he can take on Musk and Trump from the nation’s capital: split a contribution of $5 or more today.

Contribute $5

In solidarity,

Geoff Simpson
Campaigns Director