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Black Farmers’ Pandemic Funds Delayed Due to Lawsuits from White Farmers Alleging Discrimination

HeadlineFeb 23, 2022

Black farmers across the U.S., who were promised $4 billion in debt forgiveness as part of the pandemic stimulus package, have been stuck in legal limbo, thanks to lawsuits from white farmers. Some 15,000 farmers applied for the debt relief. The lawsuits claim the federal funds discriminate against white farmers, even though the measure was passed to help rectify generations of discrimination against farmers of color, including theft of land and refusal to grant loans. The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law said, “The USDA’s racist policies of unfairly denying loans to #BlackFarmers has caused foreclosures and insurmountable debt from one generation to the next.”

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