Black Farmers' Debt Relief Delayed

THIS IS PART OF AUGUST’S “OUR PUBLIC MEMORY” INTELLECTUAL PIES PRACTICE ON POLITICIZING OUR EXPERIENCES. IF YOU MISSED THIS NEWSLETTER, READ IT HERE.

“I’m gonna die a farmer.” This was part of an eye-opening interview of the National Association of Black Farmers founder John Boyd, Jr. who noted that farming is one of the oldest professions ever and Black people have been systematically separated from the land through redlining and urbanization. Now many Black farmers are fighting to keep doing what they love.  

Conservatively, Black farmers lost more than $300 billion in land during the 20th century because of racial discrimination. The $4 billion in debt relief that’s long overdue to Black and brown farmers from the COVID American Rescue Plan is still being denied to them because of lawsuits from white farmers. 

Organizations like the Federation of Southern Cooperatives is joining the fight against these “reverse discrimination” lawsuits and demanding the bill be enforced. The bill also includes a 20% direct payment to borrowers to offset tax liability expenses from loan payments.

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Williesha Morris