Black Farmers Celebrate "Historic" $2 Billion Payout for USDA Discrimination, Still Seek Debt Relief
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Published 2024-08-06
We look at the historic $2 billion payout by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to farmers who experienced systemic discrimination when applying to the USDA's farm loan programs. The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights has documented how USDA administrators routinely denied loans to Black farmers and other farmers of color for many decades, contributing to a massive decline in the amount of Black-owned farms in the United States. "This is a very, very historic payout for Black farmers," says John Boyd, a fourth-generation Black farmer and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, who notes the application to receive the payout was 40 pages long. He says the group is also still fighting for a related $5 billion debt relief program. "I want people to know this is a big win, and don't never, ever give up. The arc of justice bends slow; it bends slower for Black people, but I never gave up."
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All Comments (21)
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Litigation against the USDA for discrimination against African American farmers began in August 1997 with two suits brought by black farmers: Pigford v. Glickman and Brewington v. Glickman. However, its origins go back to the 1960s. As a result, a vast USDA agency backlog of unresolved complaints began to build after the USDA Civil Rights Office was closed in 1983. In 2023, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Justice For Black Farmers Act, legislation aimed to address and correct historic discrimination within federal farm assistance and lending at the USDA, causing black farmers to lose millions of acres of farmland and robbed farmers and their families of the billions of dollars of generational wealth that land represents. In 1910, Black farmers owned 16 million acres of farmland in the U.S. Today, they own just 2.9 million acres and comprise less than 5 percent of the agriculture workforce.
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Good! People don't want to farm anymore. Iowa is turning to cattle and Iowa has always provided us a lot of our produce. So happy to have these farmers!! 🌽
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Thank you, Mr. Boyd, for your dedication & perseverance to end financial slavery of black farmers. You made me proud.
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"A day late and a dollar short"...its $3B short of what they need to just BREAK EVEN and $0 profit.
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Mr. Boyd, you are a fighter. Keep fighting!!!!
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Congratulations from Canada, Mr. Boyd! You have fought for dignity and respect for yourself and others, and you deserve it.
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Black farmers were also sold bad seeds. And because of this crops failed and most lost their farms. This was calculating racism at it's best.
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Thanks for putting together the patterns that have kept the black community oppressed , and than staying strident and true in your battles for justice and accountability Boyd.
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Wonderful news! Now give back the "Black Wall Street" and "California Beachfront" property owners back their wealth and land.
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$5 billion? It's a start. Time to give those hard working farmers their due!!!!
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YES!!!! Congratulations John Boyd Jr and all the Black and Brown Farmers!!! I hope each Farmer gets as much as they need to support EVERYTHING they need including the land! Thank you for sharing the memory of your Father too.
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Yes, finally justice for the black farmers.. End Racism~!!!!
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Respect to the National Black Farmers Association for their longstanding advocacy!
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Congratulations Mr. Boyd and to America's Black farmers/farmers of colour!
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And it's not just about the farming. It's about the land that they stole millions and millions of acres
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Good. Now how about Black veterans that were systemically denied VA benefits?
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Uhh. The man in the office needs to be fired. He is a federal worker actively discriminating against POC and that is a federal crime. He must be fired and criminally charged with discrimination. He should NOT have that job. 😮😮
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Over 100 Billion Dollars sent for Foreign Aid ? A paltry 2 Billion Dollars for Farmers ? 😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
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I’m going to guess that this would not be in the history books written for middle school and high school students? Much respect for Cory Booker reintroducing the Justice for Black Farmers Act!
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Thank you John Boyd for not giving up.
