For the first time in the history of the United States, members of the House’s agriculture committee heard black farmers about the impact of systemic discrimination by the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Thursday’s hearing came in the wake of $ 5 billion being allocated to disadvantaged colored farmers earlier this month, as part of the coronavirus relief and economic stimulus package. The funding – $ 4 billion for debt relief, $ 1 billion for other forms of support – aims to account for generations of mistreatment of colored farmers by the USDA.
“This purulent wound in the soul of agriculture must be healed,” said Congressman David Scott of Georgia, who was born on a farm in South Carolina owned by his grandparents and is now the first black man to chair the committee.
Black farmers offered familiar testimonies of racism in the industry and the USDA. Sedrick Rowe, an organic peanut farmer in Georgia, spoke of crop buyers telling him that they didn’t buy any more peanuts for the day he shows up. PJ Haynie, of the National Council of Black Producers, spoke about black farmers surviving on non-irrigated land while their white neighbors used USDA aid to irrigate theirs.
Before making up about 14% of US farmers, black farmers represent less than 2% today. Many were expelled for racist lending practices from the agriculture department that led to huge losses of land, income, profits and wealth generation.
This wealth cannot be recovered. Black farmers will never recover the land they lost. But the USDA appears to be trying to foster renewed confidence in the department.
In addition to Scott’s historic appointment in December, the USDA, perhaps as an acknowledgment of Tom Vilsack’s second term as secretary of agriculture, was met with disappointment by many farmers and black leaders, called Dewayne Goldmon, former executive director of the National Black Growers Council, as the USDA’s first senior advisor on racial equality. And, if confirmed, Jewel Bronaugh will be the first black woman to act as deputy secretary for the department.
Even so, black farmers remain skeptical. “This is all a very good intention. But the USDA base is tortuous, ”said Michael Carter, a Virginia farmer, of the seemingly reactive diversity efforts. “You can’t put a new roof on and expect the foundation to be straight again.”
Scott asked Vilsack on Thursday how much of his time will be devoted to raising the $ 5 billion in stimulus funds at the hands of black farmers. Vilsack replied that he has no doubt that his team understands that this is at the top of his list in terms of priorities.
“This is a meeting that I have been advocating for 30 years,” said John Boyd Jr. “On behalf of every black farmer and farmer, we thank you for finally hearing our screams.”
But as president and founder of the National Black Farmers Association, Boyd said his phones rang non-stop, with farmers asking when they would receive help. At the end of the four-and-a-half-hour hearing, that launch was not yet clear. Boyd, who advocated on behalf of black farmers and brought issues of inequality to the fore for decades, called for a quick move to implement this debt relief.
“This should have happened in the first place,” he said on the phone. Remembering his own defense of Thursday’s hearing, he remained resolute. “You don’t think about it. You have so many obstacles, so many struggles, ”