Black farmers meet with Sen. Hagan in support of bill
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RALEIGH—Black farmers in our state shared their stories of discrimination with Senator Kay Hagan on Friday.
They hope she can help pass a bill that would get them thousands of dollars in settlement money. Hagan held a round-table discussion with North Carolina members of the National Black Farmers Association, or NBFA. For decades, black farmers across the country have fought racial injustice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Farmer George Roseboro got a chance to thank Hagan since he is one of thousands of black farmers in our state who could receive settlement money.
"No telling where I'd be. Probably along side the white guys,” said Roseboro. "We probably have 26 acres left. My great-grandfather owned probably about 500 acres in the [Columbus County] area.”
Roseboro was forced to liquidate much of his family farm in Columbus County after the USDA denied him and other black farmers loans for many years. Black farmers won a class action lawsuit against the USDA more than 10 years ago, but congress has yet to approve the funding. After years of bouncing around Congress, the U.S. House approved the Pigford Claims Funding Act as part of the Small Business Bill. Sen. Hagan co-sponsored the Act and is pushing fellow senators to vote for the bill next month.
"Justice delayed is justice denied. I think in this case 4,000 black farmers in North Carolina have certainly been denied justice for decades,” said Hagan.
Representatives with the USDA acknowledged the discrimination of black farmers and say they're behind the federal government's efforts to right the wrongs of the past.
"President Obama requested $1.15 billion in his fiscal year 2010 budget request,” said Mary McNeil, with USDA.
Of that money, farmers like Roseboro could get as much as $50,000. The U.S. Senate reconvenes September 13. The Small Business Bill could be one of the first priorities for the Senate.