Nation Aug 24 The future of debt relief for Black farmers after decades of discrimination By John Yang, Kaisha Young
Nation Jul 23 Watch 6:32 ‘Gaining Ground’ highlights Black farmers’ efforts to reclaim lost land In 1910, about 14 percent of U.S. farmers were Black, owning more than 16 million acres. Now, according to the latest Census of Agriculture, only one in 100 farmers is Black, owning less than 5 million acres. A new documentary… By John Yang, Kaisha Young, Juliet Fuisz, Marconja Zor
Nation Mar 23 Watch 9:20 Black farmers struggle in face of structural racism and economic headwinds The number of self-identified Black farmers in the United States has dwindled over the last century, in part because of overt discrimination by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The agency is the economic backbone for most American farmers through its… By Fred de Sam Lazaro, Sam Weber, Adam Kemp
Arts Mar 10 What it’s like to be a Black farmer in Oklahoma As the number of Black-owned farms and ranches dwindles across the country, a photographer has partnered with several organizations to help record not only the struggles of keeping this way of life alive but also the resilience and joy of… By Adam Kemp
Politics Dec 06 Black farmers sue government for promised federal aid A class-action lawsuit says the federal government has illegally broken a promise to pay off the debts of Black farmers. The group hopes to put pressure on officials to restore funding that was dropped after a group of white farmers… By Scott McFetridge, Associated Press
Dec 07 Watch 9:01 Historically denied ‘pivotal’ loans, Black farmers still struggle to get support By Fred de Sam Lazaro, Simeon Lancaster For decades, Black farmers have been excluded from federal farm programs — a systematic pattern of discrimination that the U.S. Department of Agriculture acknowledged decades ago. Yet proposals to compensate farmers for past wrongs have languished in controversy and red… Continue watching
Sep 08 Watch 4:08 Indiana’s small, Black farmers struggle to keep their farms running By Brock E.W. Turner, Indiana Public Television Indiana’s agricultural tradition is well documented. From Indy 500 winners drinking milk to county fair midways and local 4-H animal exhibits, farming is always celebrated. But the national conversation around race is largely absent in many rural Indiana communities. From… Continue watching
Mar 16 Watch 6:26 How the economic relief law narrows the equity gap for farmers of color By Lisa Desjardins The COVID relief and economic package is a massive bill that has a far-reaching impact in ways that many Americans don't know about yet. One provision calls for debt relief for Black farmers, who have long been denied access to… Continue watching