Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama, Race and Civil Rights
President Barack Obama signed the bill that will provide compensation to thousands of black farmers who say they were discriminated against by the federal government when it came to loans and subsidies. About 30,000 black farmers are eligible for the settlement.The $1.25 billion settlement will pay each farmer an average of $50,000 but an independent arbitrator has to hear each claim and decide the case on the merits. Farmers are also eligible for a total of up to $250,000 in damages if they can show that the discrimination cost them that much.
"When we've fallen short, it's been up to ordinary citizens to stand up to inequality and unfairness wherever they find it. That's how we've made progress. That's how we've moved forward. And that's why we are here today -- to sign a bill into law that closes a long and unfortunate chapter in our history," Obama said at the bill signing.
The signing represents the end of almost two decades of legal and political wrangling over the case.
"The president said: 'You are here, now how does it feel?' I told him it was bittersweet because I still think about the names and faces that died and who aren't here to see this day. I'm glad to see the president sign the bill and deeply saddened by those who died waiting for justice," John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association told Aol BlackVoices in an interview today.
Black farmers successfully sued the government for discrimination in 1999 in the Pigford v. Glickman case. The federal government paid out $980 million to more than 16,000 farmers who were denied the same loans and subsidies offered to white farmers. Many eligible farmers were left out of the settlement or were not given enough time to file a claim.
In 2007, then-Sen. Barack Obama introduced a bill to reopen the case, and the $1.25 billion settlement was agreed upon but never funded by the Senate, despite passing twice in the House. On the 10th time the bill came before the Senate, it passed in a unanimous consent vote.
The race was on to pass the bill during the current lame duck session of Congress before Republicans take control of the House in January. Republicans have offered staunch resistance to the bill, with Rep. Michelle Bachman saying the settlement was "rife with fraud" and Rep. Steve King from Iowa calling the settlement "slavery reparations."
Boyd has called those allegations a disgrace and said they provide the proof he needs to demonstrate how easy it was to discriminate against black farmers.
"This case had nothing to do with reparations, it's about discrimination," Boyd said.
Now comes the effort to reach out to black farmers to make sure they apply for the settlement. Many of the black farmers in the Deep South have limited education and are going to need assistance, Boyd said.
He said U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has agreed to discuss helping to fund outreach efforts. Boyd said his group is also reaching out to congressional representatives of the areas where black farmers live for assistance.
"I'm glad to get out of this political process. Now I can work on making sure no one is left out," Boyd said.
The bill also settles claims from Native Americans that their land trust and water rights were mismanaged. The bill provides $3.4 billion to settle those claims.
Boyd has been critical of the Obama Administration in the past but said the President deserves credit for all he has done to help secure the funding.
"President Obama can say this was resolved on his watch. He made good on a campaign process. It behooves the administration to look at this as something that directly affects African Americans in the poorest counties in this country. Down in places like Mississippi these are poor communities and they need this money to help get their lives together."
Obama said this is the first step in the process of righting wrongs committed against several other ethnic groups.
"While I am pleased that this Act reflects important progress, much work remains to be done to address other claims of past discrimination made by women and Hispanic farmers against the Department of Agriculture as well as to address needs of tribal communities," Obama said.