Gut Punch: Too Many Deaths

This morning I had one of those gut-punch moments. It was a serious punch to my heart and soul. My grief is intense, and maybe it will remit as the day goes on. I hope so. Actually, I hope it doesn't. It is too deep. 

Several of us have been working with various congressional leaders and Secretary Tom Vilsack's office on behalf of Black farmers and their severe mistreatment at the hands of the USDA. Those people have been Senators Warren, Sanders, and Booker. We engaged with President Biden's policy team before the election. We have made calls, written letters, and helped write legislation. 

Socially Disadvantaged Farmers are on the precipice of a dream come true. Indebtedness that has been a function of discriminatory actions for years, as interest piled up upon interest, now has an opportunity to be erased. The term is "debt relief," which carries with it some technicalities. 

Several years ago, I interviewed a couple of Black farmers who had had their land and equipment taken from them via a contrived arrangement of the FSA office, a local bank, and the implement dealership. Those folks knew that foreclosure was coming before it landed in the laps of the farmers. 

One farmer died not long after I interviewed him. It was a short interview as he was in his hospital bed in his living room as his care taker hovered nearby. I made it brief. I had moved into his space and he was suffering. He was soon in the presence of his ancestors. 

This morning, I decided to call the other farmer. I was thinking that perhaps provisions for debt relief under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, with its sections 1005 and 1006, might be useful for him and his wife. I knew that they were indebted to the USDA, but how much I don't recall. 

Then, upon doing a google search, I received the sucker punch. This farmer had died earlier this year. Yes, he also had passed on to his ancestors, just like his partner had several years ago. I watched the video of him and his family there on the web page, and I wept. 

Those tears are for him and his wife and family. Those tears are for numerous other Black farmers who did not live to see justice. From Texas to North Carolina to Georgia to Kansas and to points betwixt and between, they are dead. Yes, they have died, and in many instances, the stress of farming while Black in  America took them to early graves. I see their names, I hear their voices, their documents are in my filing cabinet, their interviews are in my voice files and transcribed in most places. 

They passed to glory without seeing justice, without seeing their debts forgiven. 

I left a message on their home phone. I hope his wife will call. If she doesn't, I still was able to leave a word of condolence. 

Yes, the Black Farmer Movement is real and the farmers are worthy of justice for their pain and suffering. Yes, their families deserve debt relief that they never received. 

That is my commitment, to work on their behalf, before any more Black farmers die. 

Too many have died. 

Therein lies my grief. 

Coalition in Pursuit of Justice: Our History in a Nutshell

February 25, 2021

The Honorable Senator Cory Booker

Washington, DC

 Dear Senator Booker:

 The USDA Coalition of Minority Employees and the Justice for Black Farmer Group are grateful for your support of Black farmers and systemic change for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). We consider The Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2021 to be the most pivotal civil rights legislation since The Civil Rights Act of 1964. We hope it will soon pass and that it will bring relief to thousands of Black farmers, minority farmers, and USDA employees who have been discriminated against for decades. Your vision is deeply appreciated.

The USDA Coalition of Minority Employees has been engaged in similar struggles on behalf of both Black farmers and USDA employees since 1994. Our vision is to bring to light the horrendous mistreatment of both Black farmers and women within USDA. This includes women who have been sexually assaulted with impunity by their peers and superiors. That information is found at this link: http://www.agcoalition.org/index.html.

We believe the Act of 2021 will address both sets of issues by creating systemic changes within USDA and its organization. It has been my honor and privilege to serve as the Coalition’s first president and then as its President Emeritus upon retirement from USDA. As a Coalition, we represent all persons of color as well as women employees. We began advocating for Black farmers in 1994 and we know all too well their struggles for survival.

By way of history, we initially engaged Senator Elizabeth Warren via our letter dated August 19, 2019 when we believed she was focusing too narrowly on the heirs’ property issue and not enough on the historical discrimination within USDA and its racist history, Black land loss, and the loss of generational wealth for Black farmers. Our letter to her with over 100 signees indicated the breadth of the Coalition as we engaged both rural and urban farmers. Her quick engagement with us allowed us to participate in the development of her policy, “Addressing Discrimination and Insuring Equity for Farmers of Color,” which is found here:  https://elizabethwarren.com/plans/equity-farmers-of-color. We had many conference calls with her campaign and policy staff including a meeting with Senator Warren directly. We were very pleased to note that a candidate for the Presidency of the United States fully understood the plight of Black farmers and that she had invited us into the conversation.

We had a host of meetings with Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign staff from late 2019 through early 2020. We were pleased as well that he understood the gravity of the Black farmer issues though our engagement as his team substantially engaged the Coalition and our farmers and advocates, including a representative of women employees of USDA in December, 2019.  His policy, though never published, was one that we could support. Some of his ideas for Black farmers are encompassed in his policies for rural America: https://berniesanders.com/issues/revitalizing-rural-america. He expressed his concern for civil rights and his support for the Black farmer issue by voting against the confirmation of Secretary Vilsack.

We engaged with a candidate, Mike Bloomberg. As reported in the Kansas City Star on February 28, 2020, Lloyd Wright, one of our Coalition members and former Director Office of Civil Rights for USDA, asserted that “Mike Bloomberg’s agriculture plan would make up lost time for America’s Black farmers.” He, too, had a grasp of the complexity of issues facing Black farmers. Here is Mr. Wright’s op ed: https://www.kansascity.com/opinion/readers-opinion/guest-commentary/article240721906.html.

As the campaign for president proceeded, we found it important to engage the Joe Biden policy team. That engagement involved a number of members of our Coalition during 2020. There were stumbling blocks that we experienced along the way including a lack of depth in grasping the larger issues for USDA women employees and Black farmers, a lack of clarity with regard to what was labeled as “unconstitutional” and problems with debt relief.

It was also apparent to us that Tom Vilsack’s influence was in control of the process. We were dismayed that the policy team insisted on including “accomplishments” of former Ag Secretary Thomas Vilsack, most of which we disagreed, in Biden’s Policy for Black farmers, which was given to us on July 31, 2020. At that time, we understood the brief document to be a work in progress. We were working with them in good faith; however, we soon learned that they were not as committed as we had expected. That policy is at the end of this lengthy document under the title, “Addressing Longstanding Inequities in Agriculture:” https://joebiden.com/racial-economic-equity.

In our work with Biden’s policy team, we pointed to the investigative reporting of Rosenberg and Stucki and the five myths of the Vilsack administration: https://thecounter.org/usda-black-farmers-discrimination-tom-vilsack-reparations-civil-rights. Lloyd Wright responded to the assertions of the Biden Policy Team by writing his own response from his perspective as a former employee of USDA and Office of Civil Rights and as an appointee of Thomas Vilsack. His scathing rebuke was published here: https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/lloyd-wright-open-letter-to-biden-about-vilsack/a1d55aef-78ad-41f1-aa12-1e2ff0874d19/. It was also spotlighted in this article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/14/vilsack-usda-black-farmers.

When it became apparent that Vilsack was indeed the nominee by President Biden, the Coalition was extremely upset as were many others around the country, especially Black farmers. As President Emeritus of the USDA Coalition for Minority Employees and as spokesperson for the Justice for Black Farmer Group, my voice was heard in this article: https://thecounter.org/tom-vilsack-biden-usda-civil-rights-betrayal-lawrence-lucas. Specifically, “Tom Vilsack’s record is an abysmal one when it comes to civil rights at USDA” were my words precisely. Further, I stated, “With this nomination, the people I represent are feeling a sense of betrayal.” And, yes, the confirmation of Tom Vilsack for Secretary of Agriculture gives us very serious concerns.

During this window of time, three releases buttress our beliefs about Black land loss and racism within USDA. First, the award-winning documentary, “I’m Just a Layman In Pursuit of Justice: Black Farmers Fight USDA,” chronicles the stories of farmers who prevailed against USDA and DOJ between 1997 and 1999. The film received an Honorable Mention and the People’s Choice Award at the Denton Black Film Festival. The film’s website is here: https://blackfarmersinsearchofjusticefilm.com.

Second, another documentary has been developed which tells of land loss via legacy farmers in the South using music and farmers’ stories. Here is the link to their trailer: https://www.facebook.com/AcresofAncestry/videos/510326393279147. The film has been accepted into a premier film festival, the Pan African Film Festival. Third, a book that describes in detail Black land loss along with land lost to American Indian tribes has been published by Jillian Hishaw, CEO and Founder of F.A.R.M.S. Her book is discussed here: https://www.jillianhishaw.com/book-purchase/landtheft.

In late September, 2020, various members of our Coalition began meeting with members of your staff. We found those conference calls to be warm, engaging, and informative, and your staff open and conciliatory with our recommendations for the Bill that you were soon to submit to the Senate. We were delighted to see the similarities between Senator Elizabeth’s policies from early 2019 so well developed in The Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2020 that you, Senator Warren, and Senator Gillibrand proposed to the Senate. The Bill’s comprehensive nature was gratifying to read as it addressed racism, complaint abuse, and inequities within USDA; creation of a “fire wall” between the Office of General Counsel and Civil Rights across USDA; the provision of debt relief; the opportunities to secure acres to farm; and policies that would address civil rights processing and administration throughout USDA.

We understood then that the 2020 Bill had limited, if any chance, of passing in the last legislative session. With the new Senate in place, we have much confidence that The Justice for Black Farmers Act of 2021 will be passed and that many Black farmers will benefit. We are also very pleased to see the cooperation between you and Senator Raphael Warnock with his complementary bill, “Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act,” and its potential inclusion in President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. We are also encouraged by President Biden’s Executive Order entitled, “Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.”

We believe this is a new day for justice for Black farmers as well as for USDA women employees who have been severely mistreated. While the bills that you and Senator Warnock have proposed specifically address the Black farmer issue, we see that the systemic changes that you are recommending in The Act of 2021 will serve the needs of other farmers of color and USDA employees.

We are deeply appreciative of your support for Black farmers and women employees of USDA. The Coalition has labored long and hard since 1994 to see justice brought to bear, and now, we see that justice may become a reality, thanks to you, Senator Warren, and Senator Warnock.

Again, thank you for your efforts. We wish to work with you and your staff on a continual basis to ensure that systemic change and civil rights become realities once and for all at USDA and the entire federal government.

Respectfully,

Lawrence Lucas, President Emeritus

USDA Coalition of Minority Employees & Black Farmers Group

www.Agcoalition.org

justice4BFarmers@gmail.com