Persistence Yields Rewards for African American Farmers
The National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) sought $2.5 billion for its suit against the US Department of Agriculture for racially discriminatory practices of the federal farm credit program but agrees to $1.25 billion on the condition the funds are appropriated by March 31, 2010. This money bundles $100 million from a 2008 Congressional allocation and $1.15 billion from President Barack Obama.
The struggle for admission of wrongdoing against African American farmers by the US Department of Agriculture and restitution began in 1984, when 50 African American farmers united in a class action suit called Pigford v. Glickman. “Many, at least twenty, have died,” remarks Boyd. This case is a study in persistence and strategic action.
“At the turn of the 20th century, there were one million black farmers whose aggregate land ownership amounted to 20 million acres. The turn of the 21st century finds the US with 35,000 full time African American farmers working 3 million acres,” states Boyd. John Boyd is a third generation farmer who operates a chicken farm in Baskerville, VA. The African American farmers attribute the reduction, in part, to the long term USDA farm credit program practices.
The farmers were hard pressed for media coverage of their plight, therefore they took action by forming the National Black Farmers Association in 1995, holding marches and rallies and taking their class action suit from state to state until a favorable decision was rendered in Washington, DC by Judge Freedman in 1997. It would be several more years when two Web sites would go live.
This issue experienced major stalls in the political process. It took time to get a Congressional Committee to bring it to the Congressional floor to get funding appropriated. NBFA’s major opponent is US Rep. Steve King (IA). Congressman King attends all Capitol Hill hearings on finding discriminatory practices in the federal farm credit program, restitution and the size of financial award. "He makes claims that claimants aren’t farmers; we should be glad we live in the US and there’s no discrimination in USDA farm credit practices,” explains Boyd.
The previous award stalled at the stage of release of funds. These events occurred during George W. Bush's administration. It was US President Barack Obama that agreed to meet with NBFA president John Boyd at the top of his term to get closure on an issue redressing discrimination and lost opportunities. The National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) sought $2.5 billion for its suit against the US Department of Agriculture for racially discriminatory practices of the federal farm credit program but agrees to $1.25 billion on the condition the funds are appropriated by March 31, 2010. This money bundles $100 million from a 2008 Congressional allocation and $1.15 billion from President Barack Obama.
These funds haven’t been released because the US Congress hasn’t appropriated it. Rather than tilling the land, NBFA president John W. Boyd, Jr. spends much time on Capitol Hill pressing Majority Leader US Rep. Nancy Pelosi and US Senator Harry Reid to move the 2010 Farm Bill, currently attached to a supplemental bill to what is termed “a moving bill.” Moving bills most desired are American Recovery and Reinvestment Act or FEMA Katrina Flood Recovery.
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is supportive of this cause. It was US Rep. John Conyers (MI) chairing of the Judiciary Committee that brought the bill to the Congressional floor, July 8, 2007. Other supportive CBC members include Robert Scott (VA), Artur Davis (AL), Sanford Bishop, Jr. (GA), Bennie Thompson (MS), Maxine Waters (CA), Edolphus Towns (NY), James Clyburn (SC), and TK Butterfield (NC).
“But poor black farmers that don’t have money for lobbyists or campaign donations have to take the fight to the streets,” says Boyd. Late February through early March 2010, NBFA led ten marches in such towns as Montgomery, AL, Jackson, MS, Columbus, GA and Memphis, TN wherein 1,300 – 2,500 people participated at each place.
The National Black Farmers Association will not rest until the 2010 Farm Bill is attached to a moving bill that gets passed in the Congress and Senate before March 31, 2010 and finally, $50,000 is distributed to each claimant plus debt relief or up to $250,000 for claims of actual damages from the bias. The settlement doesn’t have a set aside for farm startup. If March 31 finds the $1.25 billion un-appropriated, the farmers have the option to demand the original $2.5.billion from the USDA.
NBFA’s existence and struggle reminds the public that African Americans are agriculturists and business people. NBFA is an example of African American fortitude yielding results. Stay abreast of the black farmers’ activities by visiting www.blackfarmers.org and www.johnboydjr.com.
Labels: black farmers, discrimination, economics, land rights
Racism 101: Explaining The Obvious
There was a gathering of intellectuals at a Brooklyn brownstone earlier in April. Coming straight from a vacation in bright, hot and lush West Palm Beach, I walked over not knowing what to expect. The topic was how the economic downturn would increase racial tensions. My question was whether the group would talk tactics or would this be theoretical. Being an American person of color, I don't need theories on the nexus of race and economics. I live the theories. I need tools to survive and thrive.
The name of the research center sponsoring this discussion is withheld but not the happenings. The group was a mix of colors, nationalities, ages and genders. People fell into the category of knowing the host family or being boardmembers. I didn't fit either so my antenna was vibrating--why had I been invited? Would money be solicited at the end of the talk?
The director greeted everyone and restated the theme. There were four presenters. The first presenter spoke about the massive home foreclosures due to the subprime mortgage debacle. He explained that most people who got those loans were persons of color, especially single black women. That's very unfortunate. After getting to a livable income and reaching a respectable social status, these sisters stopped waiting for their knight in shining armor to go for themselves and stake their claim in the American Dream. Maybe their great, great grandma didn't get her 40 acres and a mule, but this grandbaby was about to get hers. But oops, she didn't read the fine print of the contract and actually believed she could pay for a home seven times her salary. Now, the presenter didn't bring the message so "straight ahead." He was dealing with an intellectual crowd that may like theory. He even had to explain redlining. There were people who were astonished as if this was the first time they're hearing that black/communities of color were routinely denied personal and business loans.
The next presenter begged off the racism label to redefine his issue as an immigrant one. No, his problem had nothing to do with his color. It was because he is new to the United States and speaks with an accent. With that foundation layed, he explained the reality of millions who must leave their nations to find employment elsewhere to maintain their households. Money transfer services like Western Union are rich from the plight of others. People sending money back home are charged anywhere from 8% to 20% on a single transaction. His organization is in negotiation with Western Union to address this rip-off.
It's great that they saw a way to gain hegemony. It's sad that they don't understand that it is a racial matter that his country can't financial support its citizenry. The country can't support its people because the country is being discouraged from developing industry. Thus, the country stays a source for raw goods that must be processed elsewhere. The finished good is then imported to the country of origin. Take chocolate: people have come to associate chocolate with France, Germany and Belgium when in fact chocolate or cacao grows in tropical climates. Who lives in tropical climates? People of color do. Tea, rubber, coffee, bananas, coconuts and palm oil also grow in tropical climes. His immigration issue has everything to do with him being from a country other than east/west Europe, Canada or Australia.
The next pair dealt with the restaurant industry. While they explained that the wait staff and bus staff are divided by color, they want to make this an immigrant issue rather than a racial one. If you see that those who clean off the tables and don't get tips are melanated and the people who wait on tables and get tips are primarily white, then you've spotted a racial divide that's eating into families' economics.
This duo goes around the country studying employment trends at the posher restaurants. They seek to unionize the restaurant industry. They established an employee-owned restuarant in Manhattan. An eye-opener is waiters can earn as much as six digits at America's finer eateries.
So how do we really grapple with racism when people of color deny it's affecting them? There are too many trying to go under the radar screen. Some take such positions as: "Yes, my skin is sable but my hair is straight," or "Yes, my nose is wide and lips full but my skin is pale." There ought not be any buts about being alive. Racism--seeking approval from white power structure--has people apologizing, excusing, rationalizing and boot-licking over the right to breathe, work, love and live. If we are to live more abundantly, people of color globally must not fall for "spade pit."
Labels: economics, immigrant rights, racism, subprime mortgages
There's Still No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
Just as multilevel schemes, once called pyramids, come and go, there's an ebb and flow for the search for grants by small businesses. Over the holiday, I heard two people talking about needing a hedge for retirement. One person was retired from the federal government--USPS--and saw her funds shrinking monthly. She was in her 70's. If she continued to live, her pension would not be her sustenance. She spoke about a business seminar she attended where it was explained how to make money on the Internet. I entered their conversation to ask whether the presenters talked about
search engine optimization or
search engine marketing. If you're doing e-commerce you needed the methods for driving traffic to your site. The elder said that they weren't discussed.
They resumed their conversation. The retiree was alerted to government grants for businesses. There are no grants for businesses. There are loans, lines of credit, investment pools, business plan competitions and investors but there aren't federal grants. I entered the conversation again to explain grants are possibilities for incorporated nonprofits with IRS recognition. The elder did have a connection with an existing nonprofit. Would they solve her shrinking nest egg?It is in her best interest to secure alternate streams of income. A part time job or a business with which she has familiarity are feasible. Vending merchandise might be the answer. If she has any excess funds, she ought to consider emerging portfolio management firms. These are the smaller investment houses and brokerages that have fire in the belly. There was a breakfast meeting called "Access Capital" Monday, January 7, 2008 at
Rainbow Push Coalition's Annual
Wall Street Project Economic Summit. The name is long but the heart of it is these smaller firms--many minority-owned--have the talent and knowledge to grow your money. Stacked up against S & P, according to Larry Jones, executive vice president for
Northern Trust, the smallest firms' returns were 1.46 to 1.33 times higher.
Joseph Haslip, assistant NYC comptroller for pensions, stated his office allocates millions of dollars into these emerging managing programs because of good returns.
Labels: business, economics, investing, pensions, retirement, society, structural inequalities
