Bill Text: MI HR0233 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to declare February 26, 2020, as Black Farmers Awareness Day in the state of Michigan.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 8-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-02-26 - Adopted [HR0233 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2019-HR0233-Introduced.html
house resolution no.233
Reps. Cynthia Johnson, Love, Brixie and Hoadley offered the following resolution:
Whereas, Since the antebellum period, black farmers in Michigan have fought continuously to acquire self-determination of their lives, and that of their families, through the attainment, retention and cultivation of farmland; and
Whereas, By 1920, almost one million, or 14.3%, of the nation’s farmers were black and they owned nearly 16 million acres of farmland; and
Whereas, By 1997, the number of the nation’s black farmers hit an all-time low when the census revealed that only 18,541 were left and they comprised only 1% of the total number of farmers in the country; and
Whereas, The huge number of economic and racially-discriminatory obstacles placed in their paths, including the untimely delivery of operating loans, insufficient information about program availability, and racist treatment in many United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) offices, has resulted in the declination of their numbers at a rate nearly three times that of white farmers and the loss of more than 50% of black-owned farmland since 1910; and
Whereas, A collaborative, grassroots efforts of black farmers, their families, legal teams, and social justice organizations finally sued the USDA for their racially discriminatory policies and practices, and enjoyed victory in 1997 when they received $__ billion in damages after winning the class-action lawsuit Timothy Pigford et al., v Dan Glickman, resulting in what was then the largest class-action civil rights settlement in the history of the country; and
Whereas, During the 10 years it took to complete this lawsuit, many black farmers lost their land, homes, livelihood, health, and hope in their government, which has had a devastating and negative impact on; and
Whereas, When the loss of farmland became more noticeable, black farmers and civil rights activists initiated action to stave the land loss by acquiring land to farm collectively as a means of reducing food insecurity in black communities, striving toward food sovereignty, controlling the means of production and distribution of food, and furthering the economic development of blacks; and
Whereas, There has been a resurgence of black farmers in Michigan. Since 2002, the number of black farm operators has increased from 243 to 356, accounting for 0.5% of the farm operators in Michigan; and
Whereas, Michigan’s rural black farmers have worked closely with black urban growers to establish farms in cities like Detroit and Flint and are united around the common issues of food sovereignty and self-empowerment through food production; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare February 23-28, 2020, as Black Farmers Awareness Week in the state of Michigan. We recognize the trials, tribulations and accomplishments of Michigan’s black farmers and urge the citizenry to learn more about the richness of their history and the fight to attain food security and food sovereignty in Michigan’s underserved communities.
