Black farmers won a discrimination settlement from agriculture officials in 2010, but they still haven’t been paid. It has been two years since President Obama signed a law compensating the black farmers, but the money still hasn’t reached their hands.“It should not have taken this long,” said Thomas Burrell, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturists Association. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Farmers are fed up with being force to wait even longer for their settlement, which was considered recompense for decades of discrimination.
“We have not received not one penny,” said Mildred Jackson, 81,who owns a family farm in Evergreen, La. “They’ve been doing reviews since last year… I’m sure they have a lot of lawyers working on it. Why is it taking so long?”
The $1.2 billion dollar settlement ended a discrimination case against the Agriculture Department.
So what’s the holdup? Apparently the cases are still being reviewed by a court appointed mediation and arbitration firm.
Lawyers for the farmers hope that this all will be resolved by summer.
“Everyone involved in the process is doing everything they reasonably can do to get the process completed at the earliest possible time,” said Andrew Marks, an attorney representing farmers. “I hope by no later than early summer the process will be completed and that successful claimants will receive their awards.”
President of the National Black Farmers Association, John Boyd, said his office gets calls from farmers complaining every day.
“It’s very frustrating,” he said. “But I’m hopeful that the farmers do get the settlement and are able to put the funds to use and make a difference in their lives… They’re not going to get their farms back, but if you can’t pay your light bill it could make a difference on your bottom line. ”
From yourblackworld.net
Posted by The NON-Conformist
TheConfirmationFiles 
IT is really sad when we have to fight for ever things have in this country. We work hard. THEM losing our farms and lived hood but we still can’t get justified for what we are owes. One more comment I look at congress and it is a shame that they have no respect for our president. Just because he is for every body and not just the rich like the respubliction . But one day just has the good says that the last will be first in this world. SO just remember how you treat peoples who are not like you are rich like you ok.