What Happened to all the Black Farmers?
Black farmers once made up 14 percent of America’s farmers. Today, black farmers account for less than 2 percent. One of them, fourth-generation sugar cane farmer Wenceslaus ‘June’ Provost Jr., is fighting to maintain his family’s farming legacy. June and his family were once part of the 1999 Pigford lawsuit, a massive class-action suit brought against the USDA alleging discriminatory practices. The case resulted in the largest settlement in U.S. government history and an admission of wrongdoing by the USDA. But June and his wife Angie say discrimination based on race still permeates the industry today, and allege continued discriminatory practices by their lender has pushed them out of farming and have cost them their home.
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