By John Boyd
National Black Farmers
Association
Concerns continue to mount regarding recent racist and un-American comments made by Republican Vice President (VP) Candidate Senator JD Vance (R-OH) on CBS “Face the Nation” following the payout of $2.2 Billion Discrimination Financial Assistance Program – as part of the larger bill “Inflation Reduction Act of 2022” – to provide financial assistance to any farmer who had been discriminated against in a farm lending program at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) is historic in nature. I am proud to have led the fight for over thirty years that led to this $2.2 Billion assistance for Black and other farmers of color. This is long overdue Financial Assistance for Black and any other farmer who was discriminated at USDA prior to 2021. This was not a farm benefit based on skin color given to Black farmers”.
On August 7, 2022, following the vote-a-rama, an unlimited marathon voting session on amendments, that lasted nearly 16 hours, the Senate passed the bill (as amended) on a 51–50 vote, with all Democrats voting in favor, all Republicans voting against, and Vice President Kamala Harris breaking the tie. It was signed into law by President Biden on August 16, 2022, creating the $2.2 Billion DFAP to help Black, Native American and other Farmers in this country who have been discriminated against at USDA. Generations of discriminatory behavior by the USDA has contributed to significant economic differences between white farmers and farmers of color that directly impact their access to credit.
I have reached out to the CBS Executive Producer, Face the Nation, to appear on the next segment to address Vance’s racist, untruthful comments regarding Black Farmers.
The following is a transcript of an interview with Sen. JD Vance, Republican of Ohio, on “Face the Nation,” airing Aug. 11, 2024
SEN. JD VANCE: –when people attack your family, and certainly attack your family for something that no person can control. And I do think that there’s been this thing in America where we’ve said that we should judge people based on their skin color, based on their immutable characteristics, based on things that they can’t control. I frankly think that unfortunately, a lot of people on the left have leaned into this by trying to categorize people by skin color and then give special benefits or special amounts of discrimination. The Harris Administration, for example, handed out farm benefits to people based on skin color. I think that’s disgraceful. I don’t- I don’t think we should say, you get farm benefits if you’re a Black farmer, you don’t get farm benefits if you’re a white farmer. All farmers, we want to thrive, and that’s certainly the President Trump and JD Vance view of the situation. But I do think unfortunately, when our leaders divide us by race, you’re going to have hate on the left side of the political spectrum. You’re going to have hate on the right side of the political spectrum. We should just judge people based on individual characteristics and based on merit, and that’s certainly what President Trump and I want to do.
MARGARET BRENNAN: But that wasn’t born in the last four years, I mean, one of the–
SEN. JD VANCE: No, no not at all, but I think that President Biden and Harris have certainly accelerated it. I don’t think you’ve seen any- anything like what we’ve seen from Kamala Harris when it comes to handing out government benefits based on people’s immutable characteristics. The actual legal enshrinement of discrimination in this country, we haven’t seen anything like in the last 30 or 40 years. Certainly back in the 60s and 50s, we all look at that as a period that we wanted to get away from, and in some ways, the Harris Administration has re-implemented it. I think it’s pretty disgraceful.
As the Founder and President of the NBFA, I callied for Senator JD Vance (R-OH) to issue an apology to Black Farmers for his racist, anti-black comment on CBS Face The Nation.
The NBFA is deeply offended by Vance’s comments regarding the history of racial discrimination in the United States.
Now we comments from Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) reacting to the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package signed by President Biden that includes specific monies for farmers of color.
“The Harris Administration, for example, handed out farm benefits to people based on skin color. I think that’s disgraceful. I don’t- I don’t think we should say, you get farm benefits if you’re a Black farmer, you don’t get farm benefits if you’re a white farmer.” he said. “…there’s been this thing in America where we’ve said that we should judge people based on their skin color, based on their immutable characteristics, based on things that they can’t control. I frankly think that unfortunately, a lot of people on the left have leaned into this by trying to categorize people by skin color and then give special benefits or special amounts of discrimination.”
The long history of USDA discrimination against Black farmers and other farmers of color is not in dispute. For decades, USDA delayed or denied Black farmers the same loans and payments provided to white farmers.
We are continuing to work to ensure every eligible Black, Native American and other Farmer of Color receives debt relief, technical assistance and those farmers facing foreclosures are resolved.
