Black Farmers Could Play Role in Presidential Politics
Ian Swanson and Kevin Bogardus from the Hill newspaper continue to do great reporting on the issue of black farmers and Pigford remedies. Last Thursday they reported on Secretary Johanns strong rebuke of USDA employee lobbying actions to strip Pigford remedies from the House version of the 2007 Farm Bill. Their story this morning details how Senator Barack Obama's work on the plight of black farmers could position him to gain crucial votes in the South.
“I have yet to do a town hall meeting and not have someone ask me about the settlement,” said Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.), who helped bring the matter to Obama’s attention. “It’s a supremely large issue in the black rural community in the South.”
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Obama also plans to discuss his commitment to bring relief to black farmers on the campaign trail over the next few months, according to an aide on his presidential campaign.National Black Farmers Association President John Boyd said Obama’s position as a leader on the Pigford issue could “absolutely, unequivocally” help him politically.
“I think this will help Obama with black voters split between Hillary Clinton and Obama,” said Boyd, who said he was happy to see Obama speak out publicly on Pigford because there have been too few champions of black farmers in the Senate.
Davis, who has endorsed Obama, rattles off the Alabama, Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Georgia primaries as elections where a sizable number of voters will care about a candidate’s stance on Pigford.
Comments
I am in NJ and am undecided on who to vote for. If Obama steps in and shows his commitment to help with the threat to all farmers he would have my vote. I think helping the black farmers is great but I'm not black and I need help too.
Posted by: Kim | September 22, 2007 10:57 PM
Harry Young, a black farmer from Kentucky,along with supporters will be protesting the illegal use of his brother's farm by white supremacists. So far, they have pulled steel gateposts up with a tractor, tresspassing on private property, set a fire for their meeting, cleared a "meeting spot" with a bush hog, etc. The local press remains silent, dispite hundreds of press releases sent. One Louisville AP reporter called Harry last night. In addition to the vandalism and trespassing, the main issue is FSA's use of bogus documents inthe case, its refusal to provide actual proof of the loan which was paid off. In addition, the loan supposedly used by Young was funds which were not credited to his account as unused and were used by another farmer. The issue here is FSA misconduct, combined with longstanding bigotry of local supremacists. In the great scheme of things, the KKK has only trespassed; FSA illegally foreclosed and auctioned land which has as much as $750,000,000 in coal reserves.
Posted by: Harry Young | October 13, 2007 8:45 AM
Be advised that the march is scheduled for November 15, 2007 on the campus of Kentucky State University, in front of the building where FSA/USDA and farmers are meeting. We have been obstructed in our efforts to get a permit to march: buckpassin' all the way from the governor's office on down. Campus cops say we can only protest IN the football stadium, which is out of public view. This is now: a land rights issue, a civil rights issue, a freedom of speech issue and a freedom of assembly issue. See;
Freedom of Speech and Assembly—Where Has It Gone? : Indybay
Campus cops reportedly told Harry Young of Owensboro, Kentucky that the only ... are being violated: specifically his right to free speech and assembly. ...
www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/11/01/18457703.php
Posted by: Harry Young | November 4, 2007 2:28 PM