May 24th 2024.
Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy has made a bold promise to allocate $5 billion in reparations to Black farmers if he is elected. In a recent podcast interview with John Boyd Jr., the founder of the National Black Farmers Association, Kennedy discussed his proposal and acknowledged the financial struggles faced by Black farmers due to inadequate support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture under President Joe Biden's America Rescue Plan.
Kennedy confidently stated that upon taking office, he would take immediate action to remove those responsible for this lack of support and ensure that the promised funds are delivered to the Black farming community. However, this may prove to be a challenging task as a federal judge has put a pause on Biden's efforts to provide $4 billion in relief to farmers of color. According to Judge William Griesbach, the program in question does not consider the financial circumstances of applicants, but solely their race.
Griesbach stated that there was no evidence of intentional discrimination by the USDA in their recent distribution of agriculture subsidies or pandemic relief efforts. The Biden administration's plan aimed to assist "socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers" in recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as per the USDA's agricultural website, this group is defined as individuals who have faced prejudice based on their racial or ethnic identity, regardless of their individual qualities.
Black farmers, who make up only 1.4% of the country's farmers, have long been fighting against discriminatory practices, both historically and in the present day. However, white farmers in Texas, Florida, and the Midwest took offense to the provision and filed a lawsuit against it, led by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty and America First Legal. A federal judge in Jacksonville, Marcia Morales Howard, issued a preliminary injunction, describing the bill as creating a "race-based discriminatory program."
Boyd has withdrawn his support for Biden's reelection campaign, citing the administration's lack of attention to the struggles faced by Black farmers who are at risk of losing their land. He also alleges that the USDA has been foreclosing on farmers who were seeking assistance through the debt relief program provided by this law.
Kennedy has emphasized that the $5 billion is not just a sum of money, but it is an entitlement that was taken away from Black farmers due to discrimination. He states, "It's money that Black farmers were entitled to, and it was stolen from them through discrimination." Kennedy also points out that the court has acknowledged this as well.
However, there are opposing views on Kennedy's proposal. Gene Hamilton, the Executive Director and General Counsel for the AFL, who was involved in the lawsuit, believes that it is not the government's responsibility to choose sides, particularly based on race. Hamilton asserts, "Any public official who believes that it is the government's role to favor certain groups over others due to their skin color does not deserve to hold public office." He also stresses the need to move away from the antiquated mindset of the 19th century and embrace progress in the 21st century.
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