Category Archives: Agriculture

BBCF Community & Arts Grants Spring 2024

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SELMA, AL – March 25, 2024: The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) is offering community and arts grant opportunities open to community-based organizations operating within its 12-county service area comprising Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, and Wilcox Counties of Alabama.

The 2024 BBCF Arts and Community Grants Cycle will open on March 28th with the online grant application going live followed by a series of in-person and online Learn Grants-BBCF Style Workshops. There will be an in-person workshop in each of the 12 counties which will serve as an opportunity for the community to meet the new BBCF Arts Director, Aaron Head, and to answer any questions you may have about the grant process.

For a more in-depth learning experience, covering all aspects of the BBCF grant process and including tips for writing a successful application, please plan to attend one of the two Online Grant Summit workshops. Please note that any organization that has never submitted a grant application to BBCF MUST attend one in-person workshop session prior to applying. April 19th is the deadline for all applications, with final decisions being tendered by the end of May 2024.

Dates for the in-person and online workshops are forthcoming – be sure to follow BBCF on social media and check out our website, blackbeltfound.org, for up-to-date information about these sessions.

BBCF President Felecia Lucky states, “We are enthusiastic and assured of the work and guidance offered by the BBCF Community Associates and Local Grant Review Committees in facilitating the grant application process and in fostering connections with organizations dedicated to catalyzing positive change within their communities. This year marks the 19th anniversary of the Community Grant Cycle and the 18th anniversary of Arts granting, coinciding with the celebration of BBCF’s 20th anniversary.”

BBCF’s Community Grant Cycle will invest in organizations engaging Black Belt citizens by addressing the most pressing community needs through grants ranging in size from $500 to $7500. This type of work includes but is not limited to education, economic development, health, criminal justice reform and intervention, civic engagement/participation, recreational programs, etc.

BBCF’s Arts Grant Cycle will target in-school, after-school and community-based arts and arts education programs as well as professional development and capacity building. These grants have a range of $500 to $5000.

For both Community and Arts grants, applicants will be able to find specific examples of previous projects funded and other helpful details via the grant application web resource page at: https://blackbeltfound.org/2024grants/ .

Eutaw City Council raises pay for police department

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At its regular meeting on March 12, 2024, the Eutaw City Council agreed to a budget adjustment to increase the pay of police officers based on their years of experience working with the city.

This action was in response to a concern raised by Police Chief Tommy Johnson that four officers had left the staff since the beginning of the calendar year because they received offers of higher pay from neighboring police departments.

“Our starting salary of $15.00 an hour was too low to attract or keep trained officers,” said Chief Johnson. The mayor also indicated that the police department was currently paying overtime pay rates to officers to cover all required shifts.

Council members, Jonathan Woodruff and Tracey Hunter, who are members of the Council Finance Committee, proposed an adjustment to the budget, which would raise the base pay, for police officers who completed training to $17.00 an hour ($35,360 annually), with one to five years’ experience. The salary for officers with 6 to 10 years’ experience would be increased to $18.00 an hour ($37,440 annually). For officers with more than 10 years, the pay rate was increased to $19.00 an hour ($39,520 annually)

The Chief of Police will continue to receive $65,000 annually The Assistant Chief was raised to $22.00 an hour or $45,760 annually. There may be some other adjustments based on years of service. There were no cadets budgeted for this fiscal year, which created the budgetary savings to allow the increased salaries, within the current budget for this fiscal year.

Chief Johnson said he would be able to recruit new replacement officers at the new pay rate but still urged further increases to allow for retention of capable and experienced personnel.

The Council tabled action on setting rates for rental of the R. H. Young Community Center (formerly Carver School) since City Attorney, Zane Willingham, who helped draft the rates, was away attending a conference for municipal attorneys.

At its prior meeting on February 27, 2024, the Council voted to change the check signers on all city accounts in Merchants and Farmers Bank. There will be two signatories, on each check, of three signers: Council members: Tracey Hunter and Jonathan Woodruff and Chief Clerk, SheKelvia Spencer. This action removed Mayor Latasha Johnson, as a check signer.

The Mayor indicated some displeasure and disagreement with being removed from check signing but said she would abide by the Council’s decision, if they made sure to sign checks on a timely basis as needed.
The Mayor said, “No money is missing, nothing is hidden, no money has been mis-spent. We have an audit that shows that we are financially stable and following our budget. In the past, we did not have our finances in good condition, but now under my leadership we do. There is no reason to remove me as a check signer.”

In other actions, the Eutaw City Council:

• Approved a resolution to allow the mayor to seek bids to renovate the restrooms at City Hall.

• Approved a retail liquor license for Madi Food Mart, which plans to re-open a closed convenience store on Greensboro Avenue in Eutaw.

• Approved travel for several city officials to attend upcoming conferences and training.

• Received financial reports from Ralph Liverman, Fiscal Adviser, on bank accounts and loan balances. This included a report that 29 monthly payments had been made on the City’s four-year, equipment loan of $500,370, with 19 payments totaling $206,198 remaining to be paid. This monthly expenditure is included in the budget.

• Received a report from the Chamber of Commerce that they received a $5,000 grant for a mural to be painted on the wall of a building in downtown Eutaw.

• Approved payment of bills.

The meeting ended with a discussion of the need to keep the streets of Eutaw clean and that some people were dumping trash and other waste materials at the side of the road and in ditches in the city. The mayor stated that she would work with residents and businesses to keep the areas around their homes and workspaces clean. Lorenzo French suggested involving young people in the clean-up efforts, so they would help maintain the clean streets and areas of the city.

Newswire : Circle for Original Thinking honors Indigenous Peoples’ Day podcast will re-air discussion featuring Interior Secretary Deb Haaland

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Deb Haaland, Secretary of Interior


New York, NY – On Monday, October 9, 2023, the Circle for Original Thinking podcast will re-air its fascinating discussion from the December 8, 2020 episode featuring the then Congresswoman Deb Haaland, and author and activist, Sally Roesch Wagner.
This rebroadcast will correspond with the United States observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day. At the time, she represented the First Congressional District of New Mexico, which includes most of Albuquerque and its suburbs, and she was one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress—the other is Sharice Davids of Kansas. Shortly after this episode was aired, Haaland was nominated by the Biden administration to serve as the Secretary of the Interior, now making her the first Native American to serve as a Cabinet secretary.

Also on the interview is Sally Roesch Wagner. Dr. Wagner is a feminist pioneer, speaker, activist, and the author of several books, including Sisters in Spirit: Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Influence on Early American Feminists, and The Women’s Suffrage Movement. Dr. Wagner was among the first persons ever to receive a PhD for work in Women’s Studies from UC Santa Cruz and was the founder of one of the first college-level women’s studies programs in the country.
Sally appeared in the Ken Burns PBS documentary Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, for which she wrote the accompanying faculty guide for PBS. She was also a historian in the PBS special One Woman, One Vote, and has been interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered and Democracy Now.

The subject of this discussion was the “Native American Influence on the Founding Mothers.” In other words, how did the Native American cultures inspire the thinking of the ‘founding mothers’, women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and Matilda Gage who were outspoken voices for women’s’ rights during the formative years of the United States. These women paid taxes but could not vote, could not run for office, had no right of divorce, and should they separate from their husband, were returned to them by police like runaway slaves. Native women, on the other hand, were fully equal in their society and played an integral role in political affairs and in keeping harmony with nature.

The host of the Circle for Original Thinking podcast, Glenn Aparicio Parry, has long pointed out that the most significant forgotten piece of America’s legacy is the profound effect Native America had on the founding values of this nation. His book Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again demonstrates how the best aspects of the founding vision of America were inspired, or directly appropriated, from living, Native American cultures: concepts such as natural rights, liberty, and egalitarian justice. Further, Parry traces the influence of Native America not only on the founding fathers, but on the ‘founding mothers’ of the 19th century women’s movement; as well as the 19th century abolitionist and modern ecological movements.
The re-broadcast will take place on Monday, October 9, 2023 concurrent with the observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day in the United States. The commemoration has been officially adopted by nineteen states plus the District of Columbia, as well as 130 cities nationwide. In 2021, President Biden was the first president to officially commemorate the day, though it remains unadopted as a federal holiday.
The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are a large and extremely varied group of cultures spanning a massive territory from the lower tip of South America, near the Antarctic Ocean up into the Arctic Circle with the Northern areas of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. The societies that emerged from these populations date back over 10,000 years and they represent a wide scope of social organizations from tribal groups to city states to empires. There are over a thousand known languages spoken amongst these peoples, and their cultures had developed varied, and often profound, expertise in such fields as literature, agriculture, large scale architecture, metallurgy, astronomy, medicine, engineering, and mathematics. It is important that we recognize their important contribution to humanity.
The Circle for Original Thinking podcast is America’s electronic talking circle for visionary thinkers and an open forum for fresh ideas and timeless wisdom applied to today’s political and ecological challenges. It is available for subscription wherever podcast are distributed, including Apple and Spotify. Glenn Aparicio Parry’s book Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again (978-1-59079-503-3; SelectBooks, Inc., 2020) is available wherever books or ebooks are sold.

Kid’s Tent at annual festival to feature hands-on arts, pottery making and African drumming

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A special feature of the annual Black Belt Folk Roots Festival is the Kid’s Tent which provides hands-on-art activities for young people at the festival site on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The Kid’s Tent will welcome young people on the festival grounds (the Thomas Gilmore Courthouse Square – old courthouse square in Eutaw) to participate in the various hands-on-arts activities beginning at 1:00 pm on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The Kid’s Tent will be located on the Northern area of the town square.
Greene County artist, Mynecia Steele, will lead the youth activities engaging them in creative exercises including drawing, painting, face painting and more. The participating youth will take home their creations as well as additional art supplies.
Ms. Steele is a published author and graphic artists who will also have a selection of her works for display and sale at the festival. Her various children’s books, themed posters and myriad creations have become treasured items locally as well as throughout the worldwide web, under her brand This is Myne Design.
A new feature of the Kid’s Tent will include pottery making, led by artist Kaitlin Whittle, an artist currently living in Eutaw, Alabama working primarily in graphite, oil paint, and clay. Ms. Whittle will engage the youth in the basic process of working with clay, guiding them to create their own products. Hopefully, at the close of the day, the participating young people will have small clay pots to take home.
Ms. Whittle has taught formally in the K-12 school systems of Georgia and Alabama and in smaller, less formal art programs.
A culminating event for the youth and others at the annual festival will be the presentation of an African Drum Line led by cultural artist LaVondia Bryant Smith of Birmingham, Founder/Artistic Director of Nathifa Dance Company & Outreach Inc. She is a professional dancer and choreographer in West African dance and Modern dance. Her closing presentation will instruct and engage the young people in the role and significance of the drums, specifically in African Cultures.

$2.2 Billion USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program now open for applications

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Joseph and Helen Fields, organic vegetable farmers in South Carolina

On Friday, July 7, 2023, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the application process for Section 22007 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides $2.2 billion in financial assistance for farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners, who have experienced discrimination in USDA’s farm lending programs prior to January 1, 2021. IRA Section 22007 is not a lawsuit. There is no fee to apply or to receive assistance in applying.

According to USDA, “Farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners who experienced discrimination by USDA in its farm loan programs prior to January 1, 2021, and/or are currently debtors with assigned or assumed USDA farm loan debt, that were the subject of USDA discrimination that occurred prior to January 1, 2021, are eligible for this program. To apply, borrowers have the option to apply via the e-filing portal at 22007apply.gov or submit paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local offices. The application process will be open from July 7, 2023, to October 31, 2023.”


Eight trusted community-based organizations are serving as cooperators with USDA and third-party administrators to implement this long-awaited financial assistance program and to assist farmers and ranchers who have faced discrimination in prior farm loan processes. Those cooperators are:

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF); including its member state associations, like the Alabama State Association of Cooperatives
Rural Coalition (RC)
Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC)
North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project (LLPP)
Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG)
National Young Farmers Coalition (Young Farmers)
Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC)
National AgrAbility Project (NAP)

The cooperators will be working together to reach and help farmers and ranchers through direct technical assistance and training sessions. All technical assistance will be free, and there is no charge to file the application.

The payments for the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program have not been determined yet. Secretary Vilsack said the payment “cannot fully compensate farmers for past harms but are meant as financial assistance to farmers to help in land retention and to continue farming operations.” There is no minimum payment of $50,000, as there was in prior lawsuits and administrative settlements. The payments will be based on the number of approved applications received and the severity of discrimination experienced and documented by the farmers. A maximum payment of $500,000 was fixed in the legislation that passed Congress.

Eligibility and Documentation are key to the 22007 Application Process

“We want farmers to understand the issues of eligibility,” said John Zippert, retired Director of Programs at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, and current Rural Coalition Board Chair. “If you feel you have been discriminated against while seeking a USDA farm loan, or that you were not treated well in the servicing of your loan, you may be eligible. You must show with evidence: copies of letters from USDA loan agencies, USDA receipts for service, land deeds or leases, farm business statements, notarized declarations by neighbors, not family members, that you tried to apply or applied for a USDA Farm Service Agency loan.” The team of cooperating groups stand ready to help you review your eligibility for this process and prepare and present the evidence you will need to make the strongest possible claim.

“This is an acknowledgement by USDA of the injustice that Black, Indigenous, and other farmers of color have long suffered,” noted Savi Horne, Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project. “This process is the best we have right now, and we must make it work for the farmers who have suffered at the hands of the USDA, those whose operations have been hobbled because of a long history of racism and racial exclusion. Our goal is to give them a fighting chance to be the viable producers they are capable of becoming, if given a level playing field.”

“Farmers with disabilities are routinely assumed unable to farm, leading to discrimination at all levels of the farming industry. Loan processes are no exception,” said Bill Field of AgrAbility. “Our mission over the years has been to increase access for disabled farmers to all programs available to farmers. We know that disabled farmers and ranchers have been discriminated against, and we are committed to supporting them in making the best possible case for this financial assistance.”

“For the past 15 years the Farmer Veteran Coalition has served our national membership of 40,000 members in their transition from military service to agricultural production. Our farmers are underserved beginning producers who may be part of socially disadvantaged communities. We are honored to be asked to partner with the USDA in their effort to ensure America’s Veterans impacted by discrimination are aware of this process and will have the opportunity to submit their application for consideration,” says Executive Director of FVC Jeanette Lombardo.
“While racial discrimination against Black farmers, indigenous farmers and other farmers of color are the primary issues of focus. Persons who were discriminated against because of sex, gender, religion, national origin, disability, farm size and other factors are eligible to make their case on the forty (40) page detailed application, “said Zippert.
The Rural Coalition also urges eligible farmers and ranchers not to fall victim to some lawyers and other groups spreading misleading information about this process, pressuring people to sign retainer agreements that legally bind them to share a portion of any award. Filling out the 22007 application is free, and there is no charge for assistance by the Cooperators listed here. For more information, please read the USDA fact sheet about the program timeline and ways to protect against possible scams., on the Section 22007 website.

Assistance with Applying
It is important that the financial assistance application submitted by farmers is properly filled out. The cooperators identified here have been designated and trained to provide farmers with technical assistance in the application process. Neither designated cooperators nor the USDA will make the decision regarding who is awarded financial assistance. The financial assistance will be decided and awarded exclusively by the designated administrators.
Borrowers have the option to apply via the e-filing portal at 22007apply.gov or submit paper-based forms via mail or in-person delivery to the program’s local offices between July 7 to October 31, 2023. Applications will be reviewed in November and December, with payments reaching recipients soon thereafter. The application process is not on a first come, first served, basis. All applications received or postmarked before the October 31 deadline will be considered.
Vendors, selected by USDA in a procurement process handled by career staff, are operating four regional hubs and also providing technical assistance and working closely with these and other community-based organizations to conduct outreach using digital and grassroots strategies, to ensure potential applicants are informed about the program and have the opportunity to apply. 
These hubs are operating a network of brick-and-mortar program offices and will conduct extensive outreach about the program. Windsor Group serves farmers in the eastern regions of the U.S. and Analytic Acquisitions serves the western regions. A national administrator, Midtown Group, is responsible for program oversight and integrity, and will lead a national call-center (1-800-721-0970), operate the application website – 22007apply.gov, which is now open – and review and process applications and payments. All vendors have experience in professional services, supporting government contracts, and complex program operations.   

If you believe you may be eligible for IRA Section 22007, please reach out to any of the contacts at the bottom of this press release, for more information and assistance.

Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund: Tandelyn Daniel, tandelyndirectorcommembership@gmail.com or Dañia Davy daniadavy@federation.coop
Rural Coalition: Rel Brender, rel@ruralco.org or Lorette Picciano, lpicciano@ruralco.org
Intertribal Agriculture Council: Abi Fain, abi@indianag.org
Farmers Legal Action Group: Stephen Carpenter, scarpenter@flag.org or Scott Carlson, scarlson@flaginc.org
North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers Land Loss Prevention Project: Savi Horne, savi@landloss.org
National Young Farmers Coalition: David Howard, david@youngfarmers.org or Ebonee Stevenson, ebonee@youngfarmers.org
Farmer Veteran Coalition: Jeanette Lombardo, Jeanette@farmvetco.org
National AgrAbility Project: Bill Field, field@purdue.edu

Newswire: U.S. Army Base in Louisiana renamedto honor Black World War I hero

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By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Sgt. William Henry Johnson


In an effort to address historic racial injustice, a U.S. Army base in western Louisiana has been renamed to honor the heroic legacy of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, an African American soldier who displayed extraordinary bravery during World War I.
Previously, the base bore the name of Leonidas Polk, a Confederate commander.
This renaming is part of the broader efforts within the U.S. military to rectify past injustices, including the renaming of nine Army posts that had previously commemorated Confederate officers.
Brig. Gen. David Garner, the commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Johnson, expressed profound honor in bearing the name of Sgt. William Henry Johnson.
Describing Johnson as the epitome of the warrior spirit, Garner made this announcement via a post on Twitter.
The National Museum of the United States Army recounts the awe-inspiring account of Johnson’s bravery on the front lines of France in 1918, where he valiantly repelled a German night raid near the Argonne Forest.
Wounded a staggering 21 times during the intense confrontation, Johnson fearlessly fought off the attacking forces. Selflessly, he also safeguarded a fellow wounded Black comrade from being taken captive.
Having exhausted his supply of grenades and ammunition, Johnson resorted to using his knife to eliminate two German soldiers. His relentless and determined assaults shattered the morale of the German troops, ultimately forcing them to retreat.
After surviving the war, President Theodore Roosevelt saluted Johnson’s bravery by naming him one of the five bravest Americans to serve in the conflict.
However, Johnson humbly dismissed the notion of heroism, stating, “There wasn’t anything so fine about it. Just fought for my life. A rabbit would have done that.”
Despite his outstanding actions, the Army failed to recognize his courage during his lifetime, denying him a disability allowance and neglecting to award him a Purple Heart.
Nearly a century later, in 2015, Johnson posthumously received the Congressional Medal of Honor. The prestigious accolade recognized his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty.
Sadly, Johnson’s war injuries took a toll on his life after his return to Albany, New York. Struggling with his health, he succumbed to a heart condition at 32 in 1929.
Officials said the ongoing process of renaming Army posts represents a significant milestone, as it is the first time that bases will bear the names of Black soldiers and women.
Fort Bragg in North Carolina became known as Fort Liberty earlier this month, while officials changed Fort Benning in Georgia to Fort Moore.
The original naming process for military bases predominantly involved input from local communities, though it notably excluded the participation of Black residents.
Bases were typically named after soldiers born or raised nearby, regardless of their effectiveness or leadership skills.
Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg, for instance, is widely regarded among historians as an inadequate leader who lacked the respect of his troops.
In honoring Johnson, the U.S. Army has taken a significant stride towards rectifying historical racial injustices and acknowledging the immense contributions of African American soldiers to the nation’s defense, military officials said.
They said the move reflects a broader commitment to inclusivity and represents a significant step forward in fostering a more equitable and representative military landscape.

Newswires:UN agencies warn of starvation risk in Sudan, Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali, call for urgent aid.

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By: Associated Press

Two U.N. agencies warned Monday of rising food emergencies including starvation in Sudan due to the outbreak of war and in Haiti, Burkina Faso and Mali due to restricted movements of people and goods.
The four countries join Afghanistan, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen at the highest alert levels, with communities that are already facing or projected to face starvation or otherwise risk a slide “towards catastrophic conditions.”
The report by the World Food Program and the Food and Agriculture Organization calls for urgent attention to save both lives and jobs. Beyond the nine countries rating the highest level of concern, the agencies said 22 countries are identified as “hotspots” risking acute food insecurity.
“Business-as-usual pathways are no longer an option in today’s risk landscape if we want to achieve global food security for all, ensuring that no one is left behind.” said Qu Dongyu, FAO Director-General.
He called for immediate action in the agricultural sector “to pull people back from the brink of hunger, help them rebuild their lives and provide long-term solution to address the root causes of food insecurities.”
The report cited a possible spillover of the conflict in Sudan, deepening economic crises in poor nations and rising fears that the El Nino climatic phenomenon forecast for mid-2023 could provoke climate extremes in vulnerable countries.
The report warns that 1 million people are expected to flee Sudan, while an additional 2.5 million inside Sudan face acute hunger in the coming months as supply routes through Port Sudan are disrupted by safety issues.
WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain warned of “catastrophic” consequences unless there is clear action to “help people adapt to a changing climate and ultimately prevent famine.”
“Not only are more people in more places around the world going hungry, but the severity of the hunger they face is worse than ever,” McCain said.

 

Federation of Southern Cooperatives holds Co-op Symposium at Rural Training Center

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Terence Courtney, the Federation’s Director of Cooperative Development makes presentation at Co-op Symposium.

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives held its annual Co-op Symposium at the Rural Training and Research Center (RTRC), near Epes, Alabama last week on April 21. 2023.

The symposium was attended by fifty co-op members in person and another fifty virtually online. This allowed for more discussions, questions to be answered and greater understanding of cooperative concepts by those in attendance.

The main topic of the symposium was a new Uniform Limited Cooperative Associations Act which has been proposed by the state uniform laws commission and adopted by ten states mostly in the mid-West. This law would provide more ease and uniformity for cooperative development of all kinds: agricultural, consumers, workers, housing and others, across the nation.

Terence Courtney, the Federation’s Director of Cooperative Development and Special Projects pointed out that the uniform law allows for voting membership by both participants and investors. Courtney said the provisions, “could dilute and endanger the democratic nature and quality of cooperatives, embodied in the cooperative principle of one member-one vote.”

Currently investors can participate in cooperative development by purchasing non-voting preferred stock with a set rate of return or other types of investment shares. These investors are not entitled to a vote in the affairs and decision making of the cooperative.

There was a lively discussion at the symposium of the potential impacts of this uniform legislation on future cooperative development supported and assisted by the Federation.

Several Federation state associations were represented at the meeting and gave reports on the status of cooperative development in their states and areas.

Previously this month, the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives and the Alabama State Association of Cooperatives had a training at the RTRC for members of the board of directors on their roles and responsibilities in implementing cooperative development and progress. This training for directors was well received and beneficial to the Federation’s membership.

 

 

Newswire: San Francisco board open to reparations with $5 Million payouts

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By The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO — Payments of $5 million to every eligible Black adult, the elimination of personal debt and tax burdens, guaranteed annual incomes of at least $97,000 for 250 years and homes in San Francisco for just $1 a family.
These were some of the more than 100 recommendations made by a city-appointed reparations committee tasked with the thorny question of how to atone for centuries of slavery and systemic racism. And the San Francisco Board of Supervisors hearing the report for the first time Tuesday voiced enthusiastic support for the ideas listed, with some saying money should not stop the city from doing the right thing.
Several supervisors said they were surprised to hear pushback from politically liberal San Franciscans apparently unaware that the legacy of slavery and racist policies continues to keep Black Americans on the bottom rungs of health, education and economic prosperity, and overrepresented in prisons and homeless populations.

“Those of my constituents who lost their minds about this proposal, it’s not something we’re doing or we would do for other people. It’s something we would do for our future, for everybody’s collective future,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, whose district includes the heavily LGBTQ Castro neighborhood.
The draft reparations plan, released in December, is unmatched nationwide in its specificity and breadth. The committee hasn’t done an analysis of the cost of the proposals, but critics have slammed the plan as financially and politically impossible. An estimate from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, which leans conservative, has said it would cost each non-Black family in the city at least $600,000.
Tuesday’s unanimous expressions of support for reparations by the board do not mean all the recommendations will ultimately be adopted, as the body can vote to approve, reject or change any or all of them. A final committee report is due in June.
Some supervisors have said previously that the city can’t afford any major reparations payments right now given its deep deficit amid a tech industry downturn.
Tinisch Hollins, vice-chair of the African American Reparations Advisory Committee, alluded to those comments, and several people who lined up to speak reminded the board they would be watching closely what the supervisors do next.
“I don’t need to impress upon you the fact that we are setting a national precedent here in San Francisco,” Hollins said. “What we are asking for and what we’re demanding for is a real commitment to what we need to move things forward.”
The idea of paying compensation for slavery has gained traction across cities and universities. In 2020, California became the first state to form a reparations task force and is still struggling to put a price tag on what is owed.
The idea has not been taken up at the federal level.
In San Francisco, Black residents once made up more than 13% of the city’s population, but more than 50 years later, they account for less than 6% of the city’s residents — and 38% of its homeless population. The Fillmore District once thrived with Black-owned night clubs and shops until government redevelopment in the 1960s forced out residents.
Fewer than 50,000 Black people still live in the city, and it’s not clear how many would be eligible. Possible criteria include having lived in the city during certain time periods and descending from someone “incarcerated for the failed War on Drugs.”
Critics say the payouts make no sense in a state and city that never enslaved Black people. Opponents generally say taxpayers who were never slave owners should not have to pay money to people who were not enslaved.
Advocates say that view ignores a wealth of data and historical evidence showing that long after U.S. slavery officially ended in 1865, government policies and practices worked to imprison Black people at higher rates, deny access to home and business loans and restrict where they could work and live.
Justin Hansford, a professor at Howard University School of Law, says no municipal reparations plan will have enough money to right the wrongs of slavery, but he appreciates any attempts to “genuinely, legitimately, authentically” make things right. And that includes cash, he said.
“If you’re going to try to say you’re sorry, you have to speak in the language that people understand, and money is that language,” he said.
John Dennis, chair of the San Francisco Republican Party, does not support reparations although he says he’d support a serious conversation on the topic. He doesn’t consider the board’s discussion of $5 million payments to be one.
“This conversation we’re having in San Francisco is completely unserious. They just threw a number up, there’s no analysis,” Dennis said. “It seems ridiculous, and it also seems that this is the one city where it could possibly pass.”
The board created the 15-member reparations committee in late 2020, months after California Gov. Gavin Newsom approved a statewide task force amid national turmoil after a white Minneapolis police officer killed George Floyd, a Black man.
The committee continues to deliberate recommendations, including monetary compensation, and its report is due to the Legislature on July 1. At that point it will be up to lawmakers to draft and pass legislation.
The state panel made the controversial decision in March to limit reparations to descendants of Black people who were in the country in the 19th century. Some reparations advocates said that approach does take into account the harms that Black immigrants suffer.
Under San Francisco’s draft recommendation, a person would have to be at least 18 years old and have identified as “Black/African American” in public documents for at least 10 years. Eligible people must also meet two of eight other criteria, though the list may change.
Those criteria include being born in or migrating to San Francisco between 1940 and 1996 and living in the city for least 13 years; being displaced from the city by urban renewal between 1954 and 1973, or the descendant of someone who was; attending the city’s public schools before they were fully desegregated; or being a descendant of an enslaved person.
The Chicago suburb of Evanston became the first U.S. city to fund reparations. The city gave money to qualifying people for home repairs, down payments 3. and interest or late penalties due on property. In December, the Boston City Council approved of a reparations study task force.

2022 Census of Agriculture deadline is February 6;
Respond now and here’s why

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By Hubert Hamer, Administrator – USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

The USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture is officially underway across the United States and Puerto Rico. It is important for every farmer, rancher, and producer to make sure they respond by the deadline on Feb. 6.
Every five years, America’s producers have the opportunity to take part in the nation’s only, most comprehensive, and impartial data collection for agriculture. Since 1840, the ag census has played a significant role in showing the value of agriculture and informs decision-makers on how and where to allocate resources. The data collected impact everything from farm programs and funding, crop insurance rates, rural development, disaster assistance, the Farm Bill, and more.
Producers, your voice needs to be represented in these important data. Who better to tell the story of American agriculture than the producers themselves? These statistics will directly impact our farming and ranching communities for years to come and without your input, your hard work to provide safe and abundant agricultural products to the world risks being underserved.
For instance, understanding farm economics like value of production and income can help guide loan and grant assistance. Another example is that this year’s ag census includes updates to internet access questions. Decision-makers can use NASS data to determine service gaps such as the case for investment in broadband access and infrastructure. Also, because the ag census has been conducted for over 160 years, the data can help identify trends. The ability to see how U.S. agriculture has changed over time aids our nation as we plan for the future.
If you are a crop, livestock or forestry grower with sales of $1,000 or more, you are eligible and welcomed to participate in the Census of Agriculture. If you did not receive a census form, contact: nass.usda.gov/AgCensus or call 800-727-9540.
The questionnaire may look long, but the good news is that producers only fill out the information that pertains to their operation. We have also looked for opportunities to make responding more convenient than ever before, including launching our new online Respondent Portal. Answering the questionnaire online is fast and secure. Just go to agcounts.usda.gov and enter your unique survey code. But whether producers respond online, or by mail, it is important to be counted. Better data can lead to better decisions and better policies.
We also want our producers to know that, by law, USDA keeps all personally identifiable information confidential and uses the data collected for statistical purposes only, publishing it in aggregate form to prevent farmers or farm operations from being disclosed. So, though producers are sharing information about their agricultural operation, they remain anonymous in the data.
We recognize how incredibly busy our producers are, so I want to thank them in advance for taking the time to respond by Feb. 6, and for all they do in support of U.S. agriculture.
USDA NASS will release the results from the ag census in 2024. For questions or to learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit nass.usda.gov/AgCensus or call 800-727-9540.
Hubert Hamer is the Administrator of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.