Black Land Loss Summit: Howard University, February 20 and 21

Willie still farms on a place his grandfather purchased years ago. His modest single-wide sits beneath a beautiful oak tree whose limb stretches across the sandy loam road named for his deceased wife. His candor and gift of hospitality caught me off guard, as did his stories of how he almost lost his land.

It was a "ball and chain," he said, the practicalities and the humiliation of working under a supervised account, something that the white farmers did not have to do. He could not buy used equipment that would serve him well. He had to buy what the supervisor told him to buy. He got poor advice from an agent he trusted and lost money on his corn crop and pig farm operation.

While other farmers were getting their farm loan operating money in December, he would get his in April or May. That was too late to lease the good land, purchase the best seeds, get fertilizer into the soil. While his crops were just beginning to break through the dirt, his neighbors' crops were maturing. "My darkest days were when I would get a letter in the mail saying they were going to foreclose on me."

To supplement the family income, he had to drive hours away from the farm. His children grew up without him. His wife had health problems. She was diagnosed with asthma. She died from congestive heart failure. All, Willie says because he could not afford good medical care.

He came very close to losing his land, the land his family owned for generations. He prevailed under Pigford I. He barely kept his land.

His story is deep with themes of struggle and resilience. The stories left me stunned.

"My name is written in the land," he said. His story is written on my heart. I am committed to telling his story and stories of other farmers in places and spaces where they cannot go.

The stories must be told.

You will find more information at: http://www.gofundme.com/jgaaq4

Would appreciate your support in getting black farmers to the summit at Howard University on the 20 and 21st, Washington, DC.

Who's Coming to the Summit?

There is an impressive list of speakers at the 10th Annual Black Land Loss Summit. Some are confirmed and others are tentative, but it ought to be more than interesting.

Look at this roster of professionals:

Spencer Wood, Kansas State University
Sarah Warren, North Carolina State University
Gary Grant, BFAA
Jerry Pennick, Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Waymon Hinson, Abilene Christian University
Alton Thompson, North Carolina A & T
Marcus Tillery
Paul Reeves
Barack Obama (invited)
Thomas Walker (invited)
John Raye
Margo M. McKay, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, USDA
Alva Y. Waller, Pigford Class Monitor's Office
Robert Wynn
John Pollock, Heirs Property Retention Coalition
Cynthia Brown

Goals and objectives for the summit include: make continued progress to stop and reverse African American agricultural land loss, make continued progress toward increasing the number of Black farm family operations, continue to assist petitioners in the appeals process under the Pigford Consent Decree, work to increase awareness of reparations issue, continue efforts to develop an inventory of what farm families produce, work to create a directory of all Black landowners in both rural and urban areas, continue to influence and/or impact agriculture education at the secondary and collegiate levels, continue to help farmers diversify for success, and work with groups on the international land and farm issue.

The summit will be held at the historic Franklinton Center at Bricks and at the Tillery Community Center.

10th Annual Black Land Loss Summit

10th Annual Black Land Loss Summit

February 15-17, 2008

Tillery and Whitakers, North Carolina

For details see the web page for the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association