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African-American Farmer Discrimination
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New Proposed Legislation Offers Benefits to African-American Farmers

 

For years, African-American farmers have claimed discrimination by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

African-American farmers have alleged that they have been denied USDA farm loans or forced to wait longer for loan approval than were non-minority farmers. Many African-American farmers have argued that they have faced foreclosure and financial ruin because the USDA denied them timely loans and debt restructuring. Furthermore, the USDA has been accused of failing to properly investigate and rule on numerous complaints of discrimination.

In 1997, two discrimination suits were brought by black farmers against the USDA — Pigford v. Glickman, and Brewington v. Glickman. These two cases were consolidated in 1999 and the court approved a consent decree that set forth a settlement agreement for the claims brought by the class members.

Under the consent decree, an eligible recipient was an African-American who:

1) farmed or attempted to farm between January 1981 and December 31, 1996;

2) applied to USDA for farm credit or program benefits and believes discrimination on the basis of race;

3) made a complaint against the USDA on or before July 1, 1997.                                                                     

Many of the farmers who joined the Pigford and Brewington class actions were denied benefits.

Congress is in the process of passing legislation that may finally assist African-American farmers who had joined the Pigford class action, but were denied benefits. The two bills are:

  • The Pigford Claims Remedy Act of 2007 (H.R. 899; S. 515), and
  • The African-American Farmers Benefits Relief Act of 2007 (H.R. 558)

 

If you are an African-American farmer who had made a complaint against the USDA in the matter of Pigford v. Glickman and your claim was denied due to timeliness or claim submission, you may be able to collect compensation under the new legislation before Congress.

Contact us immediately for a free review of you claim and a free consultation.
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Which of the Following Statements Best Describes the Type of Farm? Commercial Farm (Total Agriculture Sales Above $250k)
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Did You Ever Apply to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) for Farm Credit or Program Benefits? Yes No
What Types of Benefits were Requested?
Was the Application Accepted or Denied? Accepted Denied
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