Did the USDA discriminate against Black farmers through most of the 20th century?
A 1982 report by the U.S. Civil Rights Commission noted "serious consequences for racial relations" from more than a century of pressures on Blacks trying to make a living from farms. It chronicled discrimination by white landowners, merchants, banks and government agencies, citing previous commission reports dating back to 1965 of discrimination by U.S. Agriculture Department agencies. It detailed the continuing impact of federal lending practices.
In 1920, Blacks operated 13% of U.S. farms. That number fell to 1.4% in 2017, a much faster fall than the overall decline in farming.
In 1999 the government settled two class-action lawsuits on behalf of Black farmers charging multiple discriminatory practices, but only some claimants received settlements. In 2008 Congress authorized $100 million for further payments, and a further $1.15 billion in 2010.
