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Post Office Box 74433 Richmond, VA 23236 Ph: (434) 848-1865 http://www.blackfarmers.org		Dr. John Boyd, Jr., President 68 Wind Road Baskerville, VA 23915 Ph: (804) 691-8528 Toll Toll Free 866 881- 4639
March 13, 2006
Use this letter to send to your representatives. To find your representative, follow the links below.
HOUSE:  http://clerk.house.gov/members/index.html  Go to the site and click on "Choose a State" ; choose your state and then click "View"  to see a list of Congressmen and women in your state.  Then click on your Representative.  SENATE: www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm  Either find your senator on the alphabetical list or click on "Choose a State" and then click on your state.
Honorable ________________ United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 OR Senator __________________ United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Congressman/ Senator _________________:             On April 26, 2006, we are gathering in Washington, D.C. to participate in a series of activities to protest discrimination against Black farmers by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  We would like to meet with you during our time in Washington to discuss the legislation pending in Congress to redress this discrimination.              Despite a settlement in the class action lawsuit, Pigford v. Johannes (originally known as Pigford v. Glickman), many Black farmers have not been allowed to participate.   As part of the settlement, the Department of Agriculture agreed to pay $50,000 to each farmer who established his or her case.   More than sixty-six thousand farmers were not notified about the settlement and were denied the opportunity to participate.  We are seeking your support to: Stop discriminatory foreclosures. Provide Black farmers with equal credit opportunity. Include Black farmers in subsidy payments. Return money taken illegally from farmers through offsets.  Order USDA’s Office of Civil Rights to open thousands of Black farmer complaints that closed without an investigation.  Implement nationwide one farmer/one vote on USDA’s County Committee System. Distribute program funds in a fair and equitable manner. Implement all unresolved recommendations contained in the USDA Civil Rights Action Team (CRAT) and the Civil Rights Implementation Team (CRIT) reports. Stop discrimination based on race and sex and retaliation/ reprisals against black, minority, women farmers and ranchers, and USDA employees.              Join us in Room C ______, Capitol Building between 1:00pm and 5:00pm on April 26th to address this continuing injustice against Black farmers.   If you prefer, we can set aside a time for you to speak both to your constituents and to others from around the Country. Sincerely, [State Black Farmer Delegation Head]