Why is the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) Historically Significant to Black Farmers?

The USDA announced the $ 2.2 billion Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP). The program is for Black farmers and other minority farmers who faced discrimination by the USDA. Can that financial assistance program compensate for everything the farmers lost over generations? The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was built to support farmers and U.S. agriculture. Did they do it successfully?

When you read about American agricultural history, you’ll find a complicated legacy of Black farmers. What is that legacy? That’s a deep connection to the land, long struggle, resilience and achievement. But that is not all. There is something more─a connection to discrimination and inequalities. But if you dig down, you will find how African American farmers fought back. The Agriculture Secretary said this program acknowledges their struggle. Let’s find out what happened to Black American farmers and the USDA’s role in it.

History of Black Farmers and the Role of USDA

USDA’s 2022 Census of Agriculture shows Black farmers owned 32,700 farms and ranches. That covered about 5.3 million acres of farmland. But at the beginning of the 20th century, the scenario was different. Black American farmers owned millions of acres of land. For example, by 1920, Black–operated farms covered about 41.4 million acres. What happened to Black farmland? Why did Black American farmers lose their land so drastically across the century?

African-American farmers made a great contribution to US agricultural history. They were the main workforce in cotton and tobacco plantations before the end of slavery. But the legal end of slavery was only the beginning of more struggle. They faced obstacles in owning land. They didn’t have wealth or savings that only led them to severe poverty. All in all, inequalities, racism and discrimination hindered their hope of true independence.

At that time, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) was supposed to support the farmers. But the reality was different. Besides, Jim Crow Laws and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) lifted discrimination. As a result, many Black farmers left agriculture and migrated to cities. But systemic barriers continued and affected Black American farmers in different ways.

How Did Systemic Discrimination Contribute to Land Loss?

Briefly, some factors work together to cause Black Americans to lose land. One might be lending discrimination and unequal access to credit. They wouldn’t get funds in time to run their business. That increased debt burden eventually led to land loss. Second, procedural complexity created obstacles in getting the correct property titles. So, they didn’t get a loan against those properties. Thirdly, there was social and racial pressure that forced them to sell their land. 

Land is the means of economic independence and security for a farming family. They earn a livelihood from their land. They build homes and pass them down to future generations. But Black farmers historically faced discrimination and lost their lands gradually. Financial, legal and social barriers pushed them to sell or leave land.

This was not simply a story of families choosing to leave agriculture and move to cities. The problem was much deeper—a consequence of decades of injustice. American Economic Association published a study on Black land loss between 1920 and 1997. They said that Black land ownership was reduced massively, by almost 90% during the period. Researchers estimated the compounded present value of the lost lands. That is at around $326 billion. But behind that enormous figure were real families, livelihoods and generations of wealth.

Protest against Black Farmers’ Discrimination  

But the story did not end with land loss. Black American farmers began raising their voices and demanding accountability.  John Boyd Jr. founded the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) in 1995. The NBFA worked to educate, organise and coordinate farmers. Besides the NBFA, the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association (BFAA) also supported farmers.

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives is another local entity. They supported affected families, connected communities and provided legal support. They helped farmers to organise rallies, protests and demonstrations. The activists repeatedly exposed USDA’s internal reports that testified to racial bias. So, the largest civil rights class-action lawsuit in U.S. history, Pigford V. Glickman, was filed in 1997.  

The Pigford Lawsuit: Legal Battles to Policy Change

That demand for accountability eventually reached the courts. In 1997, North Carolina’s farmer Timothy Pigford sued the USDA. This included their unfair treatment between 1981 and 1996. The case settled in 1999 and resulted in a historic settlement. The case highlighted that Black farmers had experienced racial discrimination in the USDA. They faced delays in the handling of their complaints.

The Pigford Vs. Glickman case was filed under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). USDA Secretary Dan Glickman was the defendant. Pigford case became a landmark in U.S. history of Black farmers’ fight for recognition and justice. But Pigford was not the end of the story. The settlement addressed specific claims, while wider concerns about discrimination remained. Almost two decades after the Pigford settlement, another major chapter unfolded. The USDA’s Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP).

USDA Discrimination Financial Assistance Program (DFAP) 2022

The Pigford settlement did not mean that every concern about discrimination had disappeared. Advocacy groups such as NBFA and BFAA continued to call for greater settlement. In response, the USDA finally announced the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program. The program was built under Section 22007 of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Pigford settlement focused on a specific group of Black farmers. DFAP was open to farmers who experienced discrimination based on protected characteristics.

The DFAP allocated funds of $2.2 billion. This compensated farmers who faced USDA lending discrimination before January 2021. $ 2.2 billion was paid out to around 43,000 farmers in all 50 states, ranging from $ 10,000 to $ 500,000. Yet one question─ can financial assistance ever fully compensate generations of lost wealth?

Could DFAP Compensate the Loss Entirely?

The answer is complicated. Over generations, Black American farmers lost not only land but also economic opportunities. The land that could be transformed into generational wealth. The lost opportunities that could have made their independence meaningful. But they had been deprived of all the possibilities and forced to struggle to survive.

The Pigford settlement was an important achievement for Black American farmers. It brought documented claims of discrimination into a major legal settlement. Yet even a historic settlement could not restore everything that had been lost.

DFAP provided financial assistance; it could not return every acre of lost farmland. It could not recreate decades of lost wealth, opportunity and memories.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack described DFAP not as compensation for the losses and pain endured. But that is the acknowledgement of discrimination by the department.  

DFAP: Acknowledgement of Black Farmers’ Resilience

So, this is the DFAP’s significance. It is beyond the payment itself. It represents an acknowledgement of the long struggle of Black farmers. A recognition of the discrimination they experienced. A significant step towards establishing justice in the U.S. agriculture sector. A milestone towards equity, resilience and hope for what generations of farmers sacrificed.

NBFA founder John Boyd, who is a fourth-generation Black farmer. He shared his personal experience. He was spat on and called racial slurs by USDA officials. His loan forms were torn up in front of him by them. Boyd said about DFAP that it’s long overdue. And justice for Black farmers, for what they have been waiting so long.

USDA’s DFAP to Black Farmers: A Story of Struggle, Resilience and Hope

The story is not over. Nothing is ever truly finished; hope remains, and new possibilities may yet unfold. Black farmers endured injustice from the era of slavery onward. Yet they continued fighting for their rights and livelihoods. They continue to cultivate land, build businesses and preserve traditions. They also support rural communities through food production, housing and employment.

The USDA Census shows that the average size of Black American-owned farms increased. This reached a record 163 acres in 2022. USDA also reported that Black American farms have gradually increased since 1997. This increase recognised farmer families, young Black farmers and community contributions. Statistics can give you numbers of historical discrimination. But they cannot tell even half of the story.

DFAP can’t undo what happened to Black farmers. They cannot return everything that was lost. But acknowledgement can shape what comes next.  The story is not only one of struggle or loss. It is also a story of resilience, recognition and hope for new possibilities.