Given the recent legal breakthrough concerning the historical discrimination against African American farmers, in which the federal government acknowledged historic racial bias, resulting in the $1.25 billion settlement of a class-action lawsuit , a group in California is trying to get more African Americans interested and involved in farming.
This effort, which was began with the African American Farmers of California, employs the use of a 15-acre demonstration farm to inform and educate individuals about farming and eating healthy, and more importantly get African American youngsters interested in agriculture.
The project is part of a nationwide effort to revive the pride of black farmers and reduce therapid decline in the number of black-owned farms. It was started by Will Scott Jr., a Fresno farmer and President of the African American Farmers of California.
Scott is also involved with the Mandela Farmers’ Market in West Oakland, California, one of several innovative programs designed to bring more fresh food to poor, predominantly African American neighborhoods. He grows and sells pesticide-free sweet potatoes, broccoli, greens, okra and purple hull peas.
In many places including California, black farmers comprise less than one-third of one percent of all farmers. One reason cited is that for many African Americans, the challenge is greater because farming has a negative connotation given its historical association with the legacy of slavery, sharecropping and recent discriminatory government policies.
The African American Farmers organization in concert with other nonprofit organizations, has started similar efforts in Milwaukee, Atlanta and Chicago. They provide African Americans with land to farm and conduct workshops in agriculture and and gardening.
Currently, African Americans represent about 1 percent of the nation’s farmers and ranchers, according to the USDA. In 1920, blacks made up roughly 14 percent of the nation’s farmers.
The majority of African American farmers lost their land and farms during the great Depression. The number dropped even more during World War II when a large number of African Americans migrated north because the federal government denied them access to federal agricultural loans and other assistance that routinely were obtained and provided for white’s farmers. –torrance stephens, Ph.D
