In 1997, Timothy Pigford – a soybean and corn producer from North Carolina – sued the United States Department of Agriculture.
Pigford’s lawsuit cited years of racial discrimination as the main reason as to why he and many other black producers were denied loans, and it eventually resulted in the largest civil rights settlement in the history of the United States.
More than 15 years after the case was filed, many farmers are finally receiving their portion of the settlement.
Producers who joined the Pigford lawsuit had two options when filing for a portion of the more than $2 billion settlement. One option, the most common claim, was to receive a one-time $50,000 payment.
Checks for those payments were mailed just months ago.
“The Pigford I and II class action lawsuits attempted to address a history of discrimination by the Department of Agriculture,” said Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH) in a press release. “Between 1983 and 1997, thousands of African-American farmers were denied loans solely because of their race. These discriminatory practices resulted in severe economic consequences for farmers, often preventing them from maintaining and keeping their farms.”
While many consider the settlement as a whole a positive step toward repairing generations of damage done to black farmers, others believe it is too little too late.
Many farmers involved with the lawsuit lost their land and their farms. Some have even died during the time it has taken to move the case forward.
According to the most recent Department of Agriculture’s agriculture census, the average age for an African-American operator is 71, five years older than the average age of other farmers.
In 2007, there were more than 3.2 million farm operators in the United States. Black farm operators accounted for less than 2 percent of them.
In an interview with Frost Illustrated, President of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association Gary Grant said black farmers in North Carolina lost about 300,000 acres and $1.2 billion in assets from 1981 to 1996.
“[$50,000] to a farmer is not a lot of money,” Grant said.
Last year, New York Times writer Sharon LaFraniere wrote an article stating that the Pigford case and subsequent lawsuits filed by Native-American, Latino and women farmers were fraudulent.
The article claimed that the Obama administration, one of three administrations that have been involved in the cases, rushed to offer settlements to minority farmers without requiring proper documentation.
Yet, supporters of the claims argue Department of Agriculture policy at the time was to destroy documents related to denied loans, thus making documentation difficult.
The second settlement option required considerable documentation from the black farmer. But through this option, farmers received a one-time payment where the amount depended on the documentation.
Pigford was part of this second group.
The Pigford I settlement paid out a total of $1.06 billion in the form of cash payments, debt releases and tax payments.
The Pigford II settlement paid out a total of $1.25 billion, according to the Congressional Black Caucus Office.
The office confirmed that all checks related to the Pigford II settlement were mailed in fall of last year, therefore there should be no more payouts related to the case.
Native-American operators won a $760 million settlement from the Department of Agriculture in 2010. Producers in the Keepseagle class started receiving payments in 2012.
Many of those payments were tied to drought relief and funds awarded from a settlement with the Bureau of Land Management over past due lease payments. As of last fall, $380 million of that settlement had yet to be claimed.
Attorneys and tribal leaders are debating how best to handle the money.
The Garcia and Love cases, filed on behalf of Latino farmers and women farmers, have resulted in an offered settlement, but the cases are still pending.
Black and Native-American producers also received loan forgiveness as part of the agreements.
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there is a wide gape even today in land, money, equiptment and even in the quality life. in regards to the percentage of black farmers. you ask for donations of a depressed people. how can you justify not providing for every black farmer even to this day. have you not seen your stastisics latey.
I live in state of Mississippi and I have never heard of the black farmer Aid I had never heard of the lawsuit and is it too late for me to sign up now
it is so sad to realized how bias a country i live in today. people of color have to fight for everything and every preceived injustice no matter how small or how large it may be. we always comment on other countries and their human rights when the very house we live in is full of the same vices. to the famers everywhere thank you for not giving up
Glad this was finally settled. At face value, I will research however, I dont know for sure if these loans were denied based on race, that never is true when they say that. Wish they could have been more organized with the money 1.23 billion could have built a town or two.
Requesting settlement For David & Pinkie Morman, I file year ago have not receive a responseww
requesting that my settlement is granted. I was denied because it was said that i didnt have a tracking number. However, i was able to talk with someone from Oregon who gave me my number. My information was entered into the system wrong. I initially filed with Pigford Claimants under David J. Frantz. It saddens to know that black people are still being treated wrong. WHERE IS THE JUSTICE!!!
My father was a farmer and I had filed a claim but was turned down.Deborah Staples Doss from Plantersville,Mississippi
I filed back in 2000.No response.Can you help me?
How can I apply for the settlement
The court just rule on this case google court rule for Black Farmers….
Requesting information from pass lawsuit
I filed a year ago,and no respond.
I am. An heir of Hite farm of mileville, ms. Also of Phillips ms. Response was needed more paper work or proof. Of the heirs framering. I am. Leevone Hite of Leland, 311 James trimmed drive. The heir of my great grandfather Richard Hite.
I filed for my mother(Jennie B Prince) we never received any portion of the settlement. I have request an update before , but no one responded . It would be nice to know if she was approved for any amount in the settlement. Since we filed she has passed away so any payments need to made to me if she was approved . Thank you
This is yet another example by which people of color have been discriminated against by our government. This situation was not an accident, a coincidence but a consequence of system that has typically and historically put up roadblocks and obstacles to keep blacks from being successful. If we think about having to deal with this type of thing in farming, housing, employment, healthcare, education, (meaning from grades schools through secondary) banking it is a wonder if we have what little we have of the piece of the pie. Being hit like this from so many angles makes it challenging for one to even attempt to do anything. I know that persistence beats resistance but from so many angles for so many years………even the strongest get worn down eventually…..THIS IS MY HUMBLE OPINION
It is so sad the black farmer million did no anything about the settlement and they lost out what did u all do with the money that was left over can this settlement be open again million lost because we did not no anything about it is their another settlement open now
I can say that people that git money did not need it wee had 10034 ac land usda did not give my dad loan. They turn him down. They won’t my put. Up his loan for money and I file claim me dad had diffect. Farm I farmer. And some how. It get take from my dad. I file claim dad isisah. Hammond. Mother Martina Carson. My sister sellestine. Hammond. File for my self to my. Nane mary n. Hammond and I now my file was right sunt.20claim To office and I call ary month they told me. My claim. And. Have number to all my claim and some one at. That office did something. With them claim. John. Boyd he now about them claim. I paid 120 dollar paid 800dollar they. Now the people was charg.e. People
Why people said that. They. Farmer and did. Not Why. Iam Farmer. Someone. Needs to get that money back. The.lawly now that young. People did. Not farmer. Take. All that money from. The lawly give. To people. That did. Not get anything give. To black. Farmer the money Law. Got. Aryone. Now that some now about this. Money. I have put. 20. Claim. I. Won’t. Dad. Money he die my mother. She. Die. My sistershe die. Iam farmer. I won’t my money
No commit
can i apply for this settlement
How do people that hasn’t filed how do they go about getting there settlement?
My parent’s, Mr. And Mrs. James Ivory Richmond Sr. Was farmer and sharecroppers for twenty years or more in the fifty’s and sixty’s, and got by on whatever was handed to them. I was born in fifty eight and we continued to worked the fields. It’s amazing how I am nearly sixty now, and are just hearing about this aid or law suit for black farmers. How do I sign up?
I am the youngest in my generation and belives in what is right. My grandfather and great father work hard for their children’s and children’s. I am a Social worker in SC I believed in seeing the vision to come truth. I had apply already and I didn’t not hear from nobody. I hear that they are still accepting application can someone let me know what I need to do. my email address is tlm91@scdmh.org. my mother had died at the age of 81 years old. I am still fighting for this. We have the lands I am 51 I want to have peace when I died that I did my best.
Trying to apply for black framers money
I was a black farmer and all the thing I went through doing that time started back in 1991 we maid grower of the year the very first year Simpson county SWCD Famer of the year April 24 2001 and in Recognition of Outstanding Service to Agriclture in South West Mississippi Small Famer &Women in Business Conference Presented By Alcorn state University March 30 2005 and also Became a Member of the 180 club Mississippi Complex Recognition of Excellent Performance #1 March 2012 after all that I had a lots of vandalism barn burn down 10 registered angus came up dead Windows on my truck was out and can go on and but that are some of the thing that happen to me and I came down with prostate cancer in 2014 that when could not perform my duty in 2017 the bank first Financial Foreclose On me took all I live for and work for 24 years
Will there be another part of the settlement. I filed a claim, but never got anything ,or a response.
I filed a claim for this settlement, but never got any response. Will there be a second part of this settlement payout. If so, when?
I would like to know how do we get this black farmers settlement really settled? Because so many missed out, were told the deadline was passed even though they were part of the first settlement. Our father passed in 2011 and when we inquired about it we were not allowed to put in a claim. I still here the voice of racism loud and clear. The settlement was granted but hidden in paperwork and deadlines, and wrong information until a lot of Black farmers or their heirs that were entitled to receive money still did not get any.
Hi Jacqueline,
I’m a reporter at the Midwest Center. Thank you for your comment on our story. We’ve received many responses from people who claim they never received their settlement money, or heard back from anyone after filing. Would you be willing to share your experience with us as a part of our follow-up story on the Black Farmer’s Settlement?
Also, here is the website for the settlement from the company, EPIQ systems, that has the USDA contract to distribute the funds: https://www.blackfarmercase.com/ There they have the latest information.
I know of a whole entire community who have filed and was asked to pay a fee of 300 dollars just to file. Sounds like a scam to me. They pay dues either annually or semi annually to some church group who say the proceeds go to their ministry. If you have to pay money to get money nine times out of ten, it’s a scam. Always contact your state attorney general before getting taken to the bank by these quick get rich schemes. They’re piggy back riding off the real Black Farmers Lawsuit filed back in the 90’s. Many did receive money as far back as 15yrs ago. The last claim was settled in 2012. Wake up people you are being scammed and will probably never see your money again and definitely not receive a Black farmers lawsuit settlement. You’ve been warned!