Government Offers Settlement to Black Farmers

The News and Observer reported a settlement in a long running case for discriminated black farmers.

The settlement would call for the federal government to establish a fund totaling $1.25 billion to compensate black farmers who suffered losses as a result of unfair lending practices and other abuses. Congress must approve the funding, and farmers – or their survivors – must demonstrate they are entitled to damages and debt relief.

The settlement could bring to a close thousands of claims filed under what’s known as PigfordII, named after North Carolina farmer Timothy Pigford, whose lawsuit filed in 1992 helped bring to light differences in the way black and white farmers were treated by the government as far back as the 1930s.

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