Miss. black farmers rally in the cold for justice

JACKSON, Miss. – The Battlefield Park in Jackson, Miss. was the grounds for a large battle cry Tuesday morning, Feb. 9.

Several hundred black farmers from across the state converged on the park, braving cold temperatures, to rally and organize a trip to Washington to urge Congress to approve a $1.15 billion black farmers’ discrimination settlement against the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

John Boyd, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), led the Jackson rally.

“We want our money and we want it now! We want our money and we want it now! We want our money and we want it now!” was the chant that Boyd led the crowd in saying during the rally.

Boyd also wants more help with the matter from Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). “Congressman Bennie Thompson is a good friend, but I think he can do just a little more; just a little more to help us push this ball over the finish line,” he said.

He also told them they (the farmers) have to do their part. He urged them to “organize, mobilize and let their voices be heard in Washington on Feb. 15.” Boyd called for volunteers from the crowd to organize transportation to Washington for the national gathering of farmers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Building in Washing-ton.

A number of Mississippi farmers stepped forward to volunteer as leaders who would organize transportation to the national rally. The volunteers were asked to announce their name, contact number and which area of the state they would be traveling from so farmers from those areas could contact them if they are planning to go. Boyd later announced they would also post the volunteers’ information on the association’s rally website at www.nb farally.com

He explained to the farmers that everything has to go through a process.

He told them that President Barack Obama has already put the money in the federal jobs bill this year to compensate black farmers, but it will take congressional action to make it happen.

The money the farmers are seeking would pay claims filed by those who say they were denied USDA assistance because of their race.

A lawsuit regarding the matter was filed in 1997 and settled in 1999. But Boyd stated at a previous rally that because discrimination in the USDA continues, some in the agency tried to keep word of that settlement from getting to many of those who would have benefited from the agreement to pay $50,000 to each black farmer who claimed discrimination. He said 80,000 claims for a share of the settlement were filed after a deadline had passed because most black farmers did not know about the case.

“I want closure for my people; I’m not getting a dime out of this,” said Boyd.

He cautioned the farmers to beware of scammers. He said if they suspect they are being scammed by anyone claiming to help them for a fee, contact the state Attorney General’s office.

Rally assistant Sherri Jones of Hattiesburg interjected, “Call the police. It might take too long for the attorney general to get there.”

Many farmers say they are weary, but they are not giving up on what they feel is due them as a result of discriminatory practices.

“We’ve been fighting trying to get this money for more than 10 years,” said farmer Lucille Stover of Laurel, Miss. She and a relative returned to Mississippi from New York in 1999 to take over the family farm.

She said they heard about the reparation then, applied, but was told, “they [the government] had closed it.” Stover stressed that this country was built on the backs of the farmers.

Lillie Mae Dotson of Durant, Miss. stated, “It bring tears to my eyes when I think about how hard we’ve worked and the government don’t want to help us. I was a cotton farmer, and I used to pick cotton, too, for just 50 cent per day,” she added as she supported herself on her walker.

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