Tag: National Black Farmers Association

Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! explores fourth-generation Black farmer John Boyd’s 30-years-in-the-making victory of $5 billion COVID relief for Black farmers as part of the American Rescue Plan. Also addressed is the egregious historical USDA racial discrimination in lending, resulting in the crushing decline of Black farming with 90 percent of Black farmers’ land lost over the past century.

For decades, Black farmers dealt with devastating discrimination from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Because of it, many lost their land. It cost them dearly, and it took the government years to admit it. The Senate needs to appropriate the funds for Pigford II, lest the shame grow even deeper.

I am concerned that Congress will not act to fully fund the Black farmers settlement before it expires. By agreement amongst the parties it had been extended 50 days from June 29, 2010. This year I have attended the funerals of many Black farmers who passed before ever seeing this case resolved.

Harry Young, an 82-year-old Black farmer from Owensboro, Kentucky, was arrested and released on $50,000 bond in connection with allegations of threatening U.S. Department of Agriculture employees - terroristic threatening. It all stems from a contested foreclosure and sale of his family farm in 2005.

In 1920, at the height of Black farm ownership, one in seven U.S. farms was Black-operated; by 1992, the number had fallen to one in 100. From discriminatory lending practices to foreclosures, the USDA's policies have directly contributed to a massive loss of Black land wealth.