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In 1920, there were nearly 1 million Black farmers in the US.
Today, there are fewer than 50,000.
Their decline in numbers has not only far outpaced that of White farmers, their share of land has disproportionately shrunk too.
No surprise, institutional racism is the cause. 1/
Today, there are fewer than 50,000.
Their decline in numbers has not only far outpaced that of White farmers, their share of land has disproportionately shrunk too.
No surprise, institutional racism is the cause. 1/
The history of discrimination against Black farmers is well-documented, and @USDA is particularly deserving of blame. Their farm assistance & lending practices have robbed Black farmers & their families of hundreds of billions of dollars of generational wealth.
Today, @SenBooker is announcing The Justice for Black Farmers Act, a sweeping bill that will fight discrimination within USDA, protect remaining Black farmers from land loss, help to restore the land base lost by Black farmers, create a farm conservation corps...
... empower HBCUs & advocates for Black farmers, prioritize programs that assist all socially disadvantaged farmers, and enact reforms that will stop abuses by big multinational meatpacking companies to better protect all family farmers and ranchers.
All of this is vital, but of particular note is the land base restoration effort. @SenBooker's bill creates a new Equitable Land Access Service within USDA to acquire farmland and provide land grants of up to 160 acres to existing and aspiring Black farmers.
These land grants will help *hundreds of thousands* of Black people become farmers in the next decade, and these new Black farmers will be provided access to USDA operating loans and mortgages on favorable terms.
The injustices imposed upon Black farmers in our country - by our country - have been extraordinary, and their effects far-reaching.
As you fight for justice in the coming congress, there's a new bill that deserves your advocacy: The Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2020.
As you fight for justice in the coming congress, there's a new bill that deserves your advocacy: The Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2020.
