White Backlash: 1980-Present

1985

  • Foreclosure of New Communities

  • Racial discrimination in lending and farm loan assistance caused the first community land trust to foreclose

1990

  • Congress passes Minority Farmers Rights Act

  • Bill passed to allow use of federal funds for Black farmers

  • Despite passing, funds were not appropriated until 1992, following a "Caravan to Washington" led by farmers and supporters across the South

1999

  • Pigford Vs. Glickman

  • Class action lawsuit filed by Timothy Pigford and 400 other Black farmers against the United States Department of Agriculture

  • Pigford alleged racial discrimination in the allocation of farm loans and assistance

  • This resulted in one of the largest civil rights settlements to date

  • Nearly $1 billion was paid to more than 13,000 farmers as a result of the settlement

Melanie Allen