African American tenant farmers in Fayette County, Tenn. were removed from the land where they worked in 1960. They had registered to vote in the segregated south.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
Wednesday, March 17, 2010 12:14 PM
From: "Heather Gray"
On behalf of the “Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates” we thank all of you and your organizations for so kindly supporting and endorsing the effort to address the Black farmer settlement in Congress. Attached please find the edited letter with the present list of endorsements.
We will update you shortly on the efforts in Congress and what additional advocacy is needed. We will also continue seeking additional endorsements and thank you again so much for responding so quickly to our request.
Cooperatively yours,
Ralph Paige
Executive Director
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund
NETWORK OF BLACK FARM ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCATES
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation - Calvin King (870-734-1140)
Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association - Gary Grant (252-826-3017)
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund - Ralph Paige (404-765-0991)
Land Loss Prevention Project - Savi Horne (800-672-5839)
Mississippi Family Farmer's Association - Eddie Carthan (662-458-0983)
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Product, Inc. - Willard Tillman (405) 201-6624
Rural Advancement Fund - Georgia Good (803 378 9450)
United Farmers USA – Hezakeiah Gibson (803 410 2055)
NETWORK OF BLACK FARM GROUPS AND ADVOCATES
March 2010
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi The Honorable Harry Reid
Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives Majority Leader, U.S. Senate
Dear Madam Speaker and Mr. Majority Leader:
On February 12, 2010 President Obama sent to Congress an emergency proposal to amend the fiscal year 2010 budget to appropriate funding to settle claims for prior discrimination brought by Black farmers against the Department of Agriculture. The President’s submission included both the necessary legislative language and the OMB analysis of the proposal recommending that the President submit it to Congress.
This proposal was included with two other FY2010 supplemental appropriation proposals.
The proposal needs immediate action. In fact, Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack has stated that the deadline funding for the historic settlement of these claims, on which the proposal is based, is March 31. As you know, this settlement and the need for the funding are well documented and the legislation is in its final form. All Congress needs to do is schedule it for a floor debate and vote on it.
Please keep in mind that the deadline has a human face to it. Most of the late filers in the lawsuit against the USDA, for whom the settlement is to assist, are now older, many have retired and some are deceased. These Black farmers or their families have been waiting for close to ten years for a settlement of their case. Justice for these farmers simply cannot be delayed any longer.
Therefore, this letter is to urge you to do everything in your power to pass this emergency legislation by March 31.
cc:
President Barack Obama
Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack
Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates - Pigford Settlement
Representative James Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Whip
Representative David Obey (D-WI), Chair, House Appropriations Committee
Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI), Chair, Senate Appropriations Committee
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), Ranking Minority Member, Senate Appropriations Committee
Representative Charles J. Lewis (R-CA), Ranking Minority Member, House Appropriations
Committee
Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Chair, Senate Agriculture Committee
Senator Saxby Chamblis (R-GA), Ranking Minority Member, Senate Agriculture Committee
Representative Collin Peterson (D-MN), Chair, House Agriculture Committee
Representative Frank D. Lucas (R-OK), Ranking Minority Member, House Agriculture
Committee
Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chair, Congressional Black Caucus
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senate Agriculture Committee
Representative Artur Davis (D-AL)
Representative Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
Representative G. K. Butterfield (D-NC)
Representative Bennie Thompson (D-MS)
NETWORK OF BLACK FARM ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCATES
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation - Calvin King (870-734-1140)
Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association - Gary Grant (252-826-3017)
Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund - Ralph Paige (404-765-0991)
Land Loss Prevention Project - Savi Horne (800-672-5839)
Mississippi Family Farmer's Association - Eddie Carthan (662-458-0983)
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Product, Inc. - Willard Tillman (405) 201-6624
Rural Advancement Fund - Georgia Good (803 378 9450)
United Farmers USA – Hezakeiah Gibson (803 410 2055)
Endorsing Organizations
Alabama State Association of Cooperatives
Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network
Alabama Appleseed
American Federation of Government Employees (AFL-CIO)
American Corn Growers Assosication
BK Farmyards
Black Men's Health Initiative (North Carolina)
Border Agricultural Workers Project (Texas)
California Farmers Union (CFU)
California Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association
CASA del Llano, INC (Texas)
Center for Rural Affairs (Nebraska)
Community Vision Council
Concerned Citizens of Tillery (North Carolina)
Cooperative Network (Minnesota)
FARM AID
Farmworker Association of Florida, (Florida)
Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy
Free all Political Prisoners & Prisoners of War
Greene/Sumter Enterprise Community, Inc. (Alabama)
Grassroots Economics Organizing (GEO) (Maryland)
Highlander Research and Education Center
Iowa Farmers Union
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
INTACT Community Development Corporation (New York)
League of Rural Voters
Malcolm X Commemoration Committee
Moratorium NOW! Coalition to Stop Foreclosures, Evictions & Utility Shut-offs
Missouri Rural Crisis Center
M.O.M.I.E's TLC
National Farmers Union
National Grange
National Hmong American Farmers, Inc. (California)
National Latino Farmer and Rancher Trade Association (Washington, DC)
National Lawyers Guild
National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Nebraska Farmers Union
New England Farmers Union
North Carolina Environmental Justice Network
Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)
Pan-African News Wire
Peace Train Coalition (New York)
Pennsylvania Farmer Union
Page Four - Network of Black Farm Groups and Advocates - Pigford Settlement
Renewing the Countryside (Minnesota)
Revelation of Hope Ranch, ministries (Michigan)
Rural Coalicion/Coalición Rural
Rural Development Leadership Network (New York)
Oklahoma Black Historical Research Product, Inc.
Pennsylvania Farmer Union
Sevananda Natural Foods Market
Sustainable Rural Regenerative Enterprises for Families (SURREF)
South Dakota Farmers Union
Southern Partners Fund
Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
Texas Landowners Association
The Archile Webber Sr. Family of Oklahoma
The Area Wide Health Committee (North Carolina)
The Praxis Project
The Transformation Ministry
Truly Living Well Natural Urban Farms (Georgia)
The Rural Library Project Inc.
Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement
WESPAC Foundation
WhyHunger? (New York)
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