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The long road to correcting federal discrimination against Black farmers

Acres of Ancestry by Jess Hill

It's not just that the federal government looked the other way while Black Americans suffered discrimination; the federal government was often the source of the discrimination.

"Redlining" against potential Black homeowners in cities and suburbs was mirrored by discrimination against Black farmers in the countryside.

The situation gave rise to the Pigford vs Glickman class-action lawsuit, settled in 1999. The story does not end with the settlement, though, because the feds were slow to make the payments the court demanded.

There's a lot more ground to cover, as Tracy McCurty at the Acres of Ancestry Initiative can attest. She catches us up on what the current administration and Congress are offering to Black farmers, and how that compares to what they are demanding.

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The Jefferson Exchange is Jefferson Public Radio's daily news program focused on issues, people and events across Southern Oregon and Northern California. Angela Decker is the program's senior producer, Charlie Zimmermann is the assistant producer, and Geoffrey Riley hosts the show.