Nearly two years ago, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Section 22007, authorizing compensation for farmers who faced racial discrimination in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) farm lending practices before 2021. This week, around 43,000 farmers will receive payments of up to $500,000, with the average award being $82,000.
Farming and working the land has been “a form of liberation and healing” and “an essential part of my identity,” Pollard wrote for the online fundraiser.
Black women are included in conversations about urban farming and the need for more Black farmers to acquire land. After all, she understands the historical tie between Black people and land in this country. “Being a Black woman in fighting (for food justice) and not allowing anybody to limit me, I started to see the problems of my ancestors, and the deliberate effort to erase me from the work,” Supporter Tosha Phonix said.
The historic launch of the BNC will fulfill the business dream and vision of J.C. Watts, Jr., a nationally known entrepreneur and former U.S. Congressman, representing Oklahoma’s Fourth District.
Since March 2019, farmers in Mississippi have dealt with disastrous floods in farming fields, due to the swelling levels of the Mississippi River and continuous rains throughout the South. The floods have halted planting efforts for farmers forced to wait until the soil is dry enough to plant seeds.
Cornelius Key, the Federation’s Georgia State Coordinator, who is also a farmer and rancher says, “Small farmers that normally submit farm loan applications in December and January can’t submit loans at the moment. The shutdown will have a domino effect as it ultimately leads to a decreased harvest, greater farm debt, and loan defaults that could translate to land and farm losses.”
Singer-songwriter, Janet Jackson asked: “What have you done for me lately?” This is a question the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is asked a lot.
Southern Region farmers and other justice and equality supporters protested outside the Supreme Court building to demand courtroom justice