Episode 27: Racial Discrimination in Farm Law

Farm Commons

Agriculture in the United States was established on, with, and by the system of slavery – being the enslavement of black people by white people. Since the first people from Africa arrived on U.S. shores in 1619 into the system of enslavement, the legacy of oppression, racism, and discrimination has been passed down from generation to generation. Today, we see this in many areas of agriculture, especially the law. In this episode, we take a hard look at discrimination in the legal areas of lending and farmland access — how it works, what’s been done about it, and share supporting resources in these areas of law for black, indigenous, and peopler of color farming communities.

Resources Mentioned:

Southern Rural Development Center (SRCD)
SRDC Heirs’ Property presentation (YouTube video)
Tuskegee University Heir Property (PowerPoint Presentation)
Farming While Black by Leah Penniman of Soul Fire Farm
Family Agriculture Resource Management Service (FARMS)
Land Loss Prevention Project
RAFI-USA Farmer Hotline
FLAG Farmer Hotline: [phone]

Disclaimer: These resources are provided by Farm Commons for educational purposes only and are not legal counseling. No attorney-client relationship is created, nor is there any offer to provide legal services by the distribution of these publications. Always consult an attorney before relying on the information in these resources.

“Easy Lemon” from Royalty Free by Kevin MacLeod. Released: 2012.