Black Farmers Press Conference At U.S. Senate

Senators Hagan & Landrieu, Rep. Clyburn to Join Tractor-Driving Advocate, John Boyd, and Other Farmers

WHAT:
National Black Farmers Association holds press conference with U.S. Senators to press the Senate to pass the $1.15 billion in funding for the Black farmers discrimination case settlement before the recess in early October. The measure has bipartisan support.

WHO:

• John W. Boyd, Jr., founder and President of the National Black Farmers Association

• Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina

• Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana

• Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada (invited)

WHEN: 
Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 11:00 AM

WHERE: 
Senate Swamp (East side of the U.S. Capitol)

PLEASE NOTE:
John Boyd will arrive on his tractor "Justice" and greet a group of Black farmers who will gather at the USDA at 10:00 AM and then walk up Capitol Hill to the Senate Swamp for the 11:00 am press conference.

BACKGROUND:
The settlement has been approved by the Obama Administration and the farmers, and funding passed the House. The Senate has tried and failed 8 times to take up the bill. Senate leadership has indicated that the only way Black farmers will receive funding is by unanimous consent, coupled with the Cobell settlement. Cobell deals with mismanagement of Native American trust accounts by the U.S. Department of the Interior, while the Black famers’ settlement seeks to give Black farmers and Blacks who attempted to farm the opportunity to have their claims of discrimination by the USDA determined on their merits.