Shoun Hill, Photographer, Black Farmer Cause

I met Shoun Hill a couple of years ago.  We were on the land at a function sponsored by the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association. We had music, food, furniture, t-shirts, and golf carts all around.  The stage was Gary Grant's front porch. A marvelous occasion.

Shoun had come up from Georgia where he was doing a photography fellowship. My first image of him is that of Shoun emerging from a cloud of dust, camera in hand, as he took photographs up close and personal of a black farmer harvesting peanuts in Tillery, North Carolina.  At that time he was doing work that he describes in this video that follows.

Now, he is fund raising for an important photographic project that will tell the stories of Black farmers and their struggles to hold on to their land.  Art, photography, and music are incredible ways to tell the story.

Early on there was John Ficara, an incredible talent with his camera.

Now there is Shoun Hill. Remember that name.  Shoun Hill.

I plan on supporting his work via my pocketbook.  I hope you will consider doing the same. There are some tax write-off possibilities as well as perks that he will put in our hands.

Here is the link to his fund raising page.

Here is the link to his photography page.

Please forward these links around to your family and friends.

It is a noble cause.

Obama's Leadership

Yes, there are some interesting signs of movement in the White House related to settling the Pigford Case for those 70,000 farmers who are called "late filers," or those who did not get in under the wire for the original Pigford Class Action Suit. Here are the words printed in various newspapers around the country.

Associated Press

Reuters

Los Angeles Times

Wall Street Journal

CNN

The Hill

That's all the good news. The challenges that lie ahead include: Congress appropriating the funding, protocol to be put in place for hearing the cases, farmers finding out that they are not eligible since they have no tracking number, and no funding until '11 at the earliest.

In the meantime, farmers are dying. Some are losing their land. Some are walking away. Some can't walk away because they are too ill.

Step up President Obama

In chasing a few rabbits on the struggle of the black farmer this morning on the web, I ran across this painting. I have not heard of the artist, but plan to find out more. It moves me in a variety of ways. What does it do to you?

There is quite a bit of rhetoric on various blog pages and others as well these days as to why President Obama is not supporting a movement that he endorsed when he was in congress. That perplexes me as well. $100 million set aside by congress was only a "starting point," and we all figured it would take more to address grievances of those who were disallowed from entering the Pigford Class Action Suit.

We'll see how it goes. I'm not encouraged. Neither are some of my other friends, those who work on both sides of the isle and those who skin is dark or light.

Living life in post-Pigford

Few people would say that the Pigford Consent Decree was just. Some would say that it unnecessarily spent money on Black farmers. Others say that it was too little too late. Others say that attorneys got what farmers should have gotten. All in all, at best, it was a mixed effort. Here's a link that summarizes the effort. Here's a link that spells it all out in great detail. And, here's one more link that summarizes more complications of the suit as of July, 2008. Finally, here's an article that puts the Consent Decree within its larger context of African Americans and Black farmers.

So, now that the 2008 Farm Bill has been settled, now that we know that there's $100,000,000 minimum to settle grievances with the 73,000 Black farmers who were denied access to Pigford, now that we're in the middle of an election year, and now that our nation's Black farmers are settling in to various law suits, how do we know that things are going to get settled any differently? We can only work, hope, and pray for justice this time around.

In a previous post, I gave a shout out to a county south of Birmingham, AL in which close to 1,000 farmers never received information about Pigford. At this point, I'm also wondering about how the Black farmers of our country who were denied access in 1999 will find out about what's going on on their behalf in 2008. As for me and my house, there'll be calls made to various and sundry Black farmers to make sure that they know and to make sure that they're letting their friends know. No one in the USA should be kept out of the loop of this thing.

Here's one more link that briefly summarizes these important matters.

"We Didn't Get Nothing:" The Plight of Black Farmers

The following article can be found at the web page for the Journal of African American Studies. Or, hopefully your local library can retrieve it for you at little to no cost. The piece lays out the historical context within which the current struggle for survival of the Black farmer is found. I'm indebted to Dr. Edward Robinson, professor at Abilene Christian University, for his support of this righteous cause. We'll write more about his works later this summer.

"Abstract The central thesis to this article is that blacks were intended to work the land, but never to own the land. The progression from working the land via slavery, to peonage, and to land ownership is explored. Africans arrived on American soil carrying with them a rich legacy in caring for the land, and while they did so in America, it was under the most onerous of conditions. Once freed, blacks became prodigious land owners, but with the onset of the twentieth century various systemic factors impacted landownership for blacks. These same factors along with mechanization, herbicides, government policy, and the courts all served to undermine farm ownership for black Americans. The Pigford Class Action Suit is central to understanding the complexities of the plight of the black farmer and the attempts of various advocacy groups to maintain black land ownership."

A Gnat on an Elephant?

The Farm Bill looks to be closer to getting passed. After getting log jammed around a variety of economic and political issues, it looks to be headed out of committee next week. While President Bush is apparently still threatening to veto it, and while the Congressman in our area, Randy Neugebauer, has threatened to lead an over-ride of the veto, we'll just have to wait and see.

According to Senator Grassley of Iowa, the bill addresses the major issues pushed by the president, but is apparently still very far short of reform. Among other things, still the wealthiest of farmers continue to get subsidies while President Bush wanted limits on subsidies. According to Grassley and his list of top ten reforms in the farm bill, it is a "good faith" effort on behalf of Congress to get it done.

At the bottom of Grassley's top ten list is the one that jumps out as relative to these pages, "provides for right of action for Pigford Claims Act." Late claimants number approximately 75,000 black farmers who were denied access to the Pigford Consent Decree. What is right about this provision is that it acknowledges the problem; what it doesn't provide is a clear vision for righting the wrongs. It just opens up the possibility for wrongs to be righted. Let's all hope, and pray, and lobby for this provision to stand out loud and clear.

Other provisions of the bill allow for special consideration for socially disadvantaged farmers and first time farmers. Those are good things, but are they enough?

Here's the link to Grassley's page which will list in more detail his top ten reforms of the bill.

Here's what our area congressman wrote in his post to constituents yesterday:

NEUGEBAUER HAILS COMPLETION OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT ON THE 2008 FARM BILL; CALLS FOR FARM BILL HARVEST

“The seeds have been planted; now we must prepare to harvest. It is time to roll up our sleeves and take this to the finish line”

WASHINGTON, DC – As the conference committee wrapped up an agreement on the 2008 Farm Bill Conference Committee Report, Congressman Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) released the following statement:

“I am pleased the conference committee was able to reach agreement on the 2008 Farm Bill. This is a substantial step towards this legislation becoming law. Seed has been planted across America, and it is time to set a farm policy that gives producers certainty for this crop season and beyond. As final language and budget numbers are completed, it is my expectation that the House and Senate will vote on this final Farm Bill package next week.

“While this legislation will make some changes I do not support, farm policy overall will remain very similar to policy under the 2002 Farm Bill, which producers across the district tell me has suited them well. Because of the delay in completing this legislation, no major changes will be implemented for the 2008 crop year.

“I call on the House and Senate leadership to bring this long overdue legislation to the respective chambers for consideration as soon as possible. Additionally, I spoke directly to the Secretary of Agriculture and the White House yesterday to stress the importance of signing this bill into law.

“While only 16 percent of this bill deals directly with agriculture production, it is that 16 percent that serves as the vehicle for the various other provisions in the bill. Without food production, nutrition and food assistance programs become irrelevant.

“In the 19th Congressional District, producers have crops in the ground and throughout the nation the planting season is well underway. We cannot afford to move forward without a sound farm policy for our producers. Without it, we face the risk of losing agriculture infrastructure and becoming dependent on other nations for food and fiber as we already are for energy.

“Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and finally take this long overdue legislation across the finish line. Again, I urge both the Senate and House leadership to bring this to a vote as soon as possible and ask that my colleagues support this critical legislation. Most importantly, I call on President Bush to sign this bill as soon as it reaches his desk. Should the President decide to veto this legislation, I will vote to override his veto and will encourage my colleagues to do so as well.”
###

What do you think?

I get those google alerts every day. Perhaps you've tried them on specific topics yourself. One of the three that I retrieve daily is on "black farmers." Google with all of its technology sends the latest and not so latest web sources on the topic.

Last week one came and it was over the edge in terms of inflammatory. The author, a reputable writer for reputable newspapers in the east, had a variety of topics related to the theme "we've paid our dues to Black people." With that theme in mind, off the author of the blog went, giving information and mis-information to his readers. Granted, it was from a post written in 2001, but it was also one re-posted to the web in March, 2008. What caught my attention was his calling the Pigford case a frivolous lawsuit. Whatever it was and is, it's not nor will it ever be frivolous. Inadequate? Yes. Misguided? Yes. In some ways a violation of constitutional law with regard to procedural matters? Yes. Did some do well in it? Yes. Did it fail some miserably? Yes.

Misinformation can be corrected. I'd like to be bold enough to say that what my students and I are writing on these pages is opinion, experiences, and facts. We've laid out various sets of data about the Pigford case and its inequities. If not here, then that information is found at a variety of other sites including http://www.ewg.org/. That, in my opinion, is the best one source of information.

What was more inflammatory was the tone of it all. "WE have paid OUR debts," so step back and get on with life. So, I'm just wondering today, "How do WE get to decide whether OUR debt is really paid back or not? Who gets to decide what a kidney or an eye or a spouse or a farm is worth to those in whose body it was found, or whose family is now shattered, or whose livelihood is now destroyed?" Those who perpetrated don't, in my opinion, get to decide when it's finished.

I think those upon whom our perpetrations landed get to make the final call as to "debt paid in full." I'm also suspicious these days that there are still closet racists amongst us. Not intending to sound more judgmental than necessary, but still, how does the end of our indebtedness come to people upon whose backs this country was built, and within the boundaries of which institutional racism continues to exist. On the other hand, I do believe we need to work in some meaningful fashion to craft a reconciliation effort that works for all.

Here's the link. I think you'll find it interesting.

Then, yesterday, while driving home from my downtown office, I was sitting at the traffic light behind a vehicle registered in a southern state. There, on the rear window, was the confederate flag. That evoked another set of emotions. Images carry with them words, thoughts, feelings, and experiences. I know people who love that flag. I know people for whom that image is one of unspeakable degradation..........

Just yesterday I was asked by a student, a well-meaning person whose heart belongs to the King of Kings, "Dr. Hinson, if you weren't working with the black farmers, would you have been offended if one of your sons dated a black woman?" Stopped me in my tracks. Made me think. Made me recall my family of origin and times of complexity for a child of the south. I hope my answer would be "the color of her skin would not matter, just the content of her character."

I'm a work in progress. Surely you are as well. All of us are works in progress.

There's much work to be done.

Some people want to know

There's apparently quite of a bit of controversy in DC the last few days over a squabble related to Civil Rights complaints in the USDA Earlier this week the Office of Civil Rights, United States Department of Agriculture, ordered auditors from the General Accountability Office to leave its offices. Though the office had apparently been cooperating for months on an audit of Civil Rights complaints, Michael Watts, Acting Director, Office of Adjudication, wrote via email to employees telling them, "You are hereby instructed not to meet with any member of the GAO today, or until this matter is resolved," per the Associated Press. Apparently at issue here is whether or not the Civil Rights office had been providing false information about the progress of things. J. Michael Kelly, Agriculture's deputy general counsel, reported that the GAO investigators were intending to speak to specific employees, that the GAO is a wing of Congress and not criminal investigators with authority to investigate legal matters.

Lawrence Lucas, president of the USDA Coalition of Minority Employees, told the press service that GAO had several people willing to talk to the "independent, nonpartisan investigative
office."

Several from Congress have entered the fray: John Conyers, Bennie Thompson, Artur Davis, Bobby Scott, G. K. Butterfield, and Barack Obama, all Democrats, and all involved in various ways in efforts to fix the controversial outcomes of the Pigford Consent Decree as more than 70.000 Black farmers missed filing deadlines. The lawmakers are accusing the USDA of failing to address these serious complaints of discrimination.

Interesting times and interesting people. Justice Team members and I have met some of these folks, Lawrence Lucas, in Memphis at a land loss conference in Memphis, in January, 2006, and Michael Watts in Whitakers, NC a few weeks back.

Interesting, more than interesting, and these events make the team and me sit back and wonder.......

Here are some links with more information. Try this one. Or, this one. I'm just looking forward to reading the letter.

The Work of the Rural Coalition

The Rural Coalition is committed to the "support of small farmers, farm workers, and rural communities and [to] build a just and sustainable food system," per their web page. Their Farm and Food Policy Diversity Initiative Policy Team has worked what looks like long hours in developing a response to the 2007 Farm Bill. I would encourage you to go to their web page, read the seres of documents, reflect upon the content of their materials, and then to sign on to have your voice heard in these important matters.

Specifically, the Rural Coalition has documents that summarize the complicated farm bill. The Farm and Food Policy Diversity Initiative's Farm Bill Progress Report and Recommendations for Conference lays out in a clear way each issue/program, the House Bill's version, the Senate Bill's version, and the Diversity Initiative's recommendation. There are several: foreclosure moratorium, resolution of civil rights claims, 2501 outreach program for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers, improved program delivery on Indian reservations, inclusion of farmworkers, and many, many others.

Of particular interest is the resolution of civil rights claims relative to the determination of merits of the Pigford Consent Decree, the House's version provides a maximum of $100 million in mandatory funding while the Senate's version provides for the same amount but authorizes additional funds to be appropriated as needed to settle claims. Rural Coalition's Diversity Initiative's recommendation is to "maintain the provision and accept the stronger language and additional appropriation in the Senate version."

In a future post, I'll lay out some numbers that will show the inadequacy of the House version in terms of settling with Black farmers who've experienced discrimination.

I'm personally grateful that Lorette Picciano, Executive Director of Rural Coalition/Coalicion Rural, participated in the 10th Annual Black Land Loss Summit and spoke to these important matters.

Check out their retail website as well.