The Biden administration has allocated over $2 billion in direct payments to Black and other minority farmers who faced discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), President Biden announced on Wednesday. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack emphasized that the aid “is not compensation for anyone’s loss or the pain endured, but it is an acknowledgment by the department.”
More than 23,000 farmers were approved for payments ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. Additionally, around 20,000 aspiring farmers who were denied USDA loans received between $3,500 and $6,000. Most of these payments were directed to farmers in Mississippi and Alabama.
The USDA has a history of discriminatory practices against Black farmers, including denying loan applications, approving smaller loans compared to white farmers, and foreclosing on loans more quickly. National Black Farmers Association Founder and President John Boyd Jr. expressed that while the aid is helpful, it is insufficient. “It’s like putting a bandage on somebody that needs open-heart surgery,” Boyd stated. “We want our land, and I want to be very, very clear about that.”
Boyd continues to pursue a federal lawsuit for 120% debt relief for Black farmers, a program approved by Congress in 2021 as part of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package. However, the $5 billion earmarked for this program never materialized due to lawsuits from white farmers claiming constitutional violations, which led to judges halting the program.
In response, Congress amended the law to offer financial assistance to a broader group of farmers, allocating $3.1 billion to aid farmers with USDA-backed loans and $2.2 billion to compensate those discriminated against by the agency.
Wardell Carter, a Black farmer, recounted how his family struggled to access loans since his father bought land in Mississippi in 1939. USDA loan officers frequently denied their applications and even called the police when Black farmers persisted. Due to the lack of loans, Carter’s family could only farm a fraction of their land, severely limiting their profits. When they finally obtained a bank loan for a tractor, the interest rate was an exorbitant 100%.
Boyd shared similar experiences of blatant discrimination, including having his loan applications destroyed, being called racial slurs, and being spat on with tobacco juice by a loan officer.
At 65, Carter is too old to farm but hopes the USDA payments will help prepare his land for his nephew to start farming. “We face blatant, in-your-face, real discrimination,” Boyd said, highlighting the ongoing struggles of Black farmers in the U.S.
Link: APNews
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