Young, Gifted and Green is a left-of-center environmental advocacy group that operates a variety of programs and initiatives in support of left-of-center environmental policies. The group promotes an “environmental justice” agenda, centering on engaging minority communities in environmental activism with a focus on Tennessee and Michigan. The group was founded by LaTricea Adams in 2019 as “Black Millennials for Flint” and was awarded a $20 million federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that Adams applied for while serving on the Biden administration’s Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The grant was canceled in 2025 during the second Trump administration. ^{1 2 3}

Background

Young, Gifted and Green was founded in 2019 under the name “Black Millennials for Flint.” At the time of its founding, the group focused on lead exposure “specifically in African American & Latinx communities throughout the nation.” In 2023, the group changed its name to “Young, Gifted & Green” to reflect expanded programs and issue areas. The group also moved its headquarters address in 2023 from Memphis to Washington, D.C. ^{4 5}

Programs and Activities

Young, Gifted & Green operates a variety of programs to train individuals on environmental advocacy and organizing. The group’s EJ (Environmental Justice) Griot Project “consists of intensive training that builds Millennial and Generation Z leaders’ capacity to become environmental justice ambassadors through political advocacy, activism, and organizing.” It trains participants to conduct grassroots and direct lobbying on environmental issues. The program operates in Washington, D.C.; Memphis, Tennessee; Baltimore, Maryland; and Flint, Michigan. ²

The group also conducts programs targeted towards high school and college students, a lead prevention ambassador program, and a program that conducts environmental education in Black-owned barbershops. ²

The group also conducts a lead-free canvassing initiative that aims to educate residents on lead poisoning prevention in Baltimore, Memphis, and D.C., and conducts an annual weekend of service in Flint. ⁶

In 2024, the group joined a coalition of environmental groups in Tennessee, including the Memphis Community Against Pollution, Sierra Club Chickasaw Group, and Sierra Club Tennessee Chapter, that sent a letter to the Shelby County Health Department calling for an investigation of the Elon Musk’s xAI data center, which powers the X (formerly Twitter) chatbot Grok. ⁷

2025 EPA Grant

In January 2025, Young Gifted & Green was awarded a nearly $20 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish the Mid-South Environmental Justice Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The funding was appropriated from funds derived from the Inflation Reduction Act. The grant was hailed by Rep Steve Cohen (D-TN), who stated that “As we have seen in recent years, with fights over pipelines, air quality and our sand aquifer, we must be vigilant in assuring our neighborhoods and their residents see true environmental justice. This EPA funding will create a center to coordinate the appropriate responses and help communities get and remain safe and healthy.” ¹

The right-leaning Washington Free Beacon noted that LaTricea Adams, the founder and CEO of Young, Gifted & Green, applied for the funding while serving on the Biden administration’s White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council. The $20 million grant was the highest allowed under the Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Program, and Young Gifted & Green was one of 105 organizations that received a total of $1.6 billion. ¹

In March 2025, the EPA under the second Trump administration rescinded the $20 million grant to Young, Gifted & Green as well as a similar grant to North Carolina-based Democracy Green as part of a round of 400 grant cancellations. The grants were cancelled by the Trump administration due to both groups having connections to the Biden White House and the EPA, while “neither had handled such a substantial amount of money before securing the taxpayer funds.” Young, Gifted & Green had reported “just $2.7 million in revenue—about 14 percent the size of the grant—since it registered as a nonprofit in 2020, tax filings show.” ³

1. Catenacci, Thomas. “Biden Environmental Justice Adviser Received Millions in Taxpayer Funds After Personally Applying for EPA Grant.” Washington Free Beacon. February 24, 2025. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://freebeacon.com/energy/biden-environmental-justice-adviser-received-millions-after-personally-applying-for-epa-grant/
2. “Programs.” Young, Gifted & Green. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.younggiftedgreen.org/programs/
3. Catenacci, Thomas “Trump EPA Canceled Environmental Justice Grants the Biden Admin Awarded to Its Own Advisers.” Washington Free Beacon. March 19, 2024. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://freebeacon.com/energy/trump-epa-cancels-environmental-justice-grants-the-biden-admin-awarded-to-its-own-advisers/
4. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Young, Gifted & Green. 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831920312/202510159349302936/full
5. Return of an Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Young, Gifted & Green. 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/831920312/download990pdf_05_2022_prefixes_81-99%2F831920312_202008_990_2022051820068077
6. “Initiatives.” Young, Gifted & Green. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://www.younggiftedgreen.org/initiatives/
7. Leswing, Kif. “Elon Musk’s AI Facility Accused of Major Pollution in Texas.” Mashable. March 14, 2024. Accessed April 2, 2025. https://mashable.com/article/elon-musk-ai-facility-accused-major-pollution