Hagan Urges Eligible African American Farmers to Take Action in Discrimination Case

On September 23, 2010, Senator Hagan held a rally on Capitol Hill with the National Association of Black Farmers to introduce the legislation that funded the $1.15 billion settlement. Photo courtesy hagan.senate.gov

Staff reports

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) encouraged eligible North Carolina farmers to file claims in the Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation Settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This month, approximately 250 black North Carolina farmers filed claims at an event in Durham. The deadline to file is May 11, 2012.

“I encourage all eligible North Carolina farmers to take action and file claims in the Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation Settlement before May 11th,” said Hagan. “For years, the federal government failed to live up to its obligations to our African American farmers, including more than 4,000 North Carolinians. Since coming to the Senate I have worked with my colleagues to shed light on this discrimination and bring about justice for our farmers. Now, I am urging all eligible North Carolina farmers to take action.”

Hagan has worked closely with Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to ensure
4,000 African American farmers in North Carolina and 75,000 nationwide
can receive settlements following decades of discrimination by the
Department of Agriculture. Hagan also introduced legislation to fund the
settlement with then Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche
Lincoln (D-AR) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA).

In May 2008, as
part of the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress passed legislation appropriating
$100 million for compensation for Pigford II claimants. On December 8,
2010, Senator Hagan looked on when President Obama signed into law new
legislation that appropriated an additional $1.15 billion for these
claims, bringing the total available compensation to $1.25 billion. On
October 27, 2011, the United District Court for the District of Columbia
gave final approval to the settlement. The court order provided that
the claim submission period would begin on November 14, 2011 and end on
May 11, 2012.

Meetings are being held across the country to
provide information and assist plaintiffs in completing their claim
forms. Unlike controversial claims by some that all African Americans
descended from slaves are due reparations, the Discrimination Litigation
Settlement addresses litigated proof of long-term, deliberate
discrimination by the U.S. government. For decades black farmers, many
still alive, were denied loans and financing from the Agriculture
Department; just as in civil lawsuits against private businesses, the
plaintiffs are receiving compensation for specific damages.