[asia-apec 1746] ACTION ALERT: Black Farmers in the U.S. call on you for support!

[Anuradha Mittal]

ACTION ALERT:  Black Farmers in the U.S. call on you for support!

Make your voice heard now to end the U.S. government's stalling of 
promised compensation for decades of racial discrimination. Join with 
Food First to demand that Black Farmers be paid immediately.  

2 Minute Action to Support the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists 
Association (BFAA)

1) Read the brief "Background" section below
2) Copy and Paste the "Petition Text" into a new email 
3) Add your name and contact information
4) Send to TILLERY at aol.com  -   the BFAA will print and submit these 
5) Forward this email to friends and associates 
6) Visit the websites linked at the end of this email for further BFAA 
information 

Background:

African-American farmers have been systematically discriminated against 
by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) since the agency’s 
formation.

In the landmark case PIGFORD v. GLICKMAN, the U.S. Federal District 
Court found that the USDA has in fact "practiced, implemented and 
otherwise instituted policies and procedures which disparately impacted 
African American farmers based solely on their race between January 1, 
1981 and December 31, 1996".

A Consent Decree was entered on April 14, 1999 with provisions for 
compensating those Black Farmers impacted by discriminatory USDA 
policies. Over twenty-five thousand farmers applied to be admitted to 
this class action and more than twenty one thousand were granted this 
request.

However, the claims of approximately 40% of these 21,000 claimants have 
been rejected.  Of the other 60% of the farmers admitted to the class, 
fewer than 10% of those approved for monetary relief have been granted 
debt forgiveness.

This is absolutely unacceptable and defeats the intent of the court's 
ruling to find a just solution.


Petition Text (cut, paste, add your info, & send to "Tillery at aol.com":

"Petition for Expedited Settlement to President George W. Bush

I hereby petition the Chief Executive of the United States of America, 
George W. Bush, to require that just compensation be paid immediately to 
all African-American farmers party to the Pigford vs. Glickman Consent 
Decree and that settlement be made expeditiously to those claimants 
wrongfully denied settlement pursuant to the terms of the Consent 
Decree.

Sincerely,

_____________________ (name)

_____________________ (street address)

_____________________ (city, state, zip)

_____________________ (phone or email)"


For more information:

The Black Farmers and Agriculturalists' Association
http://www.coax.net/people/lwf/bfaa.htm

and 

Food First's Backgrounder "The Last Plantation" 
http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/backgrdrs/2000/w00v6n1.html

Join the fight against hunger. For more information contact foodfirst at foodfirst.org.

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