Congress Has Finally Heard Our Cries For Justice
Historic Votes in Senate and House Sends Farm Bill to the President’s Desk Includes $100 Million in Funding to Settle Black Farmers’ Discrimination Cases
WASHINGTON, DC – The following statement was released today by John W. Boyd, Jr. the founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA). Boyd has led a major advocacy and lobbying campaign in Washington, DC:
“Congress has finally heard our cries for justice. Yesterday the House of Representatives passed the farm bill by a veto-proof vote of 318 to 106. And today the Senate passed the bill with a veto-proof vote of 81-15. The bill provides a relief provision for the Black farmers who filed late claims in the historic Black farmers settlement for discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
“This is a truly historic moment in American history. For the first time Congress has allocated $100 million to resolve cases of USDA discrimination. Although this will not cover the costs of all the outstanding claims, it represents a significant commitment from Congress.”
“We have campaigned for over eight years, lobbied our Members of Congress and held rallies in Washington, DC and throughout our great nation. Thousands of us have sacrificed to get to this moment.” I am very proud to have lead the way for this historic bill said John Boyd President of the NBFA. Very few gave me a chance to succeed but I remain stubborn as a mule and refused to give up the fight for justice for black farmers Boyd continued.
“A few years ago I rode my covered wagon, along with my mules Struggle and Forty Acres over 280 miles from my farm in Baskerville, Virginia to Capitol Hill to draw attention to our worthy call for justice for Black farmers.”
“Today we applaud those Members of Congress who have stood by us in the struggle with a special thanks to Senators Charles Grassley, Barack Obama and Tom Harkin and to Representatives Bobby Scott, John Conyers, Steve Chabot, Artur Davis, Bennie Thompson, Edolphus Towns, Maxine Waters, among so many others.”
“We, at the NBFA, are now working quickly to prepare a public awareness campaign in 42 states reaching out to all 74,000 late filers and those who made inquires to inform these Black farmers of next steps in the process.”
About NBFA
The National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) is a community-based organization with tens of thousands of members throughout the United States. As the respected national voice of the Black farmers, NBFA has been focused on three major policy matters in Washington, DC:
Passing the Black farmers (Pigford claims) bill in the Congress
Increasing farm subsidies for Black farmers
Major reforms at the USDA
The NBFA has been involved in advocacy, land retention, and rural development for black and other small farmers throughout the country since 1995. The NBFA is working diligently to improve the quality of life in rural communities through improved agricultural outreach, access to credit for small farmers, family farm business development, food distribution, and rural economic development. NBFA views access to agricultural outreach, credit for small farmers, food distribution, and rural economic development as a means of stimulating a rural economy which in many areas of the country have been forgotten.
Further, the NBFA is pursuing community based agribusiness development including farmers markets, food distribution, and manufacturing. Through these opportunities, the organization is expanding economic resources through local, national, and international relationships.
