Eva M. Clayton: “the National Black Farmers Association marched yesterday in front of the White House. They marched for equality, they…”

“the National Black Farmers Association marched yesterday in front of the White House. They marched for equality, they marched for change, they marched for fairness, and they marched for justice. Why do they march, we may ask? They march because the USDA has a documented history of discrimination against blacks and other minority farmers. Over the last 32 years there have been numerous reports declaring and describing the problems of deliberate discrimination by the USDA against black farmers, by agencies such as the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the inspector general, and our very own Committee on Government Operations, as it was known then. Farmers and ranchers are invaluable resources to all of us. American producers, who represent less than 3 percent of the total population, provide more than enough food and fiber to meet the needs of our Nation, as well as many nations overseas. By now it should be clear that it is not in our national interest to accept the elimination of small farmers, family farmers, nor minority farmers and the limited resource farmers in the name of progress. From 1910 to 1993 the number of American farms have declined from a little more than 6.4 million to less than 2.1 million, roughly a 70- percent decline and decrease. This decline is even greater in the year 1997. The decline in minority farmers is even sharper.”