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FROM NEWSOK.COM
Black farmers and their families seek settlement money
The Black Farmers Litigation Discrimination Settlement was a class-action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture claiming the department had unjustly denied loans to black farmers.
BY PETER WRIGHT | Published: April 14, 2012 121
Hundreds of black farmers and their families, many of whom have lost their farms and livelihood, gathered at an Oklahoma City conference room Friday, waiting patiently for their names to be called. They were there seeking legal advice and help filling out paperwork that will determine whether they are eligible to receive money from a $1.2 billion settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Black Farmers Litigation Discrimination Settlement grew out of Pigford v. Glickman, a 1997 class-action lawsuit against the USDA claiming black farmers had been denied loans granted to white farmers in equivalent situations.
“Many of these folks, between 1981 and 1996, attempted to receive loans from the USDA, and were denied based upon their race,” said Greg Francis, co-lead counsel.” Many of these farmers lost their land. They lost their crops, their cattle ... they lost the opportunity to farm.” Francis is going around the country with a team of lawyers offering advice to potential claimants, a tour entirely funded as part of the settlement.
About the settlement
The suit was settled in 1999 and set a record for a civil rights settlement. Following the settlement, more than 60,000 people turned in claims for assistance after an Oct. 12, 1999 deadline passed, primarily because they weren't notified properly, said Willard Tillman, executive director of the Oklahoma Black Historical Research Project.
After years of lobbying, Congress passed and the president signed a measure included in the 2008 Farm Bill that let late applicants pursue claims. In 2010, $1.2 billion was designated to fund the new settlement. Tillman said this time attorneys and advocates are working hard to make sure everyone who could qualify is given due notice. Anyone who thinks they are owed a share of the settlement must provide identifying information, the location of their farm, details of how they were denied a loan and other facts, Francis said.
Unlike the original Pigford settlement, there is no appeals process, which means the applications must be completed as accurately as possible on the first try. Paperwork is due May 11. After the May 11 deadline, all applications will go to a group of neutral reviewers who will decide who is eligible to receive a monetary award.
For more information on the Black Farmers Settlement, go to
www.blackfarmerscase.com.
