The $4.6 million settlement was reached more than 10 years ago between USDA and African American farmers in a class action lawsuit, Pigford v. Glickman.
Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, made a statement urging her fellow senators to support the funding, saying that the "time is long overdue to move beyond USDA's discriminatory past and begin to right the wrongs African American producers have experienced."
Sen. Lincoln continued, "Between 1981 and 1996, African American farmers seeking farm loans and credit were discriminated against, denying them access to government programs and capital. In some cases, these farmers were discouraged from even applying for loans, told they were ineligible or that application forms were unavailable. In other instances, loan applications were intentionally delayed to miss deadlines, continuing to disadvantage these African American farmers."
The 1997 case was settled 11 years ago and under "a federal judge's terms dating to 1999, qualified farmers could receive $50,000 each to settle claims" of racial discrimination.
Senate Republicans rejected a unanimous Democratic consent agreement to approve the funding, which was "the seventh attempt by the Senate to approve the funds in recent weeks."
To read the CNN story, click here.
To read Senator Lincoln's statement, click here.
Posted: 08/09/2010
