Black Farmers Association won a settlement in Washington (blackfarmers.org)
The Obama administration announced a $1.25 billion settlement yesterday, resolving a decades-long fight by thousands of black farmers who say the Agriculture Department discriminated against them in loan programs. At times, this discrimination forced them to lose their farms.
The settlement will affect 80,000 farmers in 42 states and is contingent on the money being appropriated by Congress. President Obama has made it clear that getting the money to the farmers is a priority. President of the black farmers association, John Boyd, Jr. brings us the history of the fight on behalf of black farmers across the country.
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Comments [2]
I filed a claim and was denied by the Black Farmers Settlement. In which I apply for a loan through USDA to get hog houses in Duplin County. My farm was in Kenansville, North Carolina. USDA told me all the things I needed to do to receive the loan. After having my family to move on our property which was a mile off the road. They denied us the loan to build Hogs Houses. All the white farmers that applied for the loans in the county received them The Black Farmers Settlement Lawyers, stated I didn't meet the requirements to receive the $50,000.00 because USDA stated that I was not economical, nor knowledgable
about farming. I lived on a farm all of my life. My parents were the first blacks in Duplin County to have chicken houses. We had 3 houses with 250,000 chickens, 400 hogs, goats, cattles, horses. Which I had to help feed everyday. My husband work on a hog farm 2 too 3 times a week which he was asked to do by USDA. He complied. There were a lot of people that never applied for FHA or USDA loans and they received the $50,000.00 that isn't fair.
i'd like to be informed of up coming events for blackfarmers compensation my husband received 50.000.00 in 1999 it was'nt enough to even buy a new farming equipment etc.
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