For decades, many Black farmers were denied federal loans, disaster relief, and other subsidies that white farmers routinely received. Without this support, thousands lost both their land and their homes.

Starting in 1997, Black farmers from across the country joined a federal class action to force the USDA to admit and remedy its discriminatory practices.

In 1999 the federal court approved a settlement in Pigford v. Glickman that recognized discrimination against 22,363 Black farmers—then the largest civil-rights settlement in U.S. history, valued at $2 billion+.

No. 70,000+ farmers were left out, payments were delayed, and many cases were mishandled. Subsequent GAO reports, congressional hearings, and NBFA advocacy revealed ongoing problems and “willful obstruction” inside the USDA and DoJ.