Several years ago at an event sponsored by the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association of Tillery, NC, Michael Stewart and I had occasion to chat briefly about Black Farmers and the Movement of which we were a part. The documentary developed by Shoun Hill and I had just been released, and my opinion was that those brave 15 farmers who fought and won against the USDA and DOJ in some ways encouraged the continuation of the Movement, and Michael and I agreed.
Numerous things have happened since those years of '97-'99: Pigford I and Pigford II, the American Rescue Plan Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and others.
In the Movement, it is oftentimes one mile forward and two miles back. And we all know that there is much to do.
In the interview that follows, Lawrence Lucas, President Emeritus of the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees, interviews Robbie Hutchens, licensed marriage and family therapist and freedom fighter from Tennessee, and me. We discuss the background and the history that led up to the development of the Movement. We suggest that while there are useful ways of making sense out of the Black Farmers Movement, we think there is a better model that makes sense of it all.
In this interview, we attempt to develop themes that provide an understanding of the Movement. By understanding the Movement, advocates, farmers, researchers, and writers have a better chance of making sense of it all. Here are our first efforts. Please let us know what you think.
