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- Title
Post-Pigford Remedies for African-American Farmers May Include Promissory and Equitable Estoppel.
- Authors
COPELAND, ROY W.
- Abstract
The Pigford settlements represent the culmination of lawsuit filed by African American farmers who alleged the USDA discriminated against them by failing to investigate and respond to complaints regarding farm loans and credit daring the period from 1981-1990. For some the settlement represented a panacea; a victory for African American farmers who had suffered decades of discriminatory treatment by officials of the USDA and its various servicing agents. Still others viewed the settlement as a token compromise which allowed the government to abdicate itself from a multitude of broken promises and fraudulent practices designed to deny African American farmers access to credit opportunities and disaster aid easily obtained by white farmers. With the extension of expanded filing opportunities provided by Pigford II for those who farmed during the requisite time period, but failed to file claims during the requisite time period, thousands of African American farmers were provided an additional opportunity to file claims. Asa result of the Pigford I and Pigford II cases, Congress appropriated over two billion dollars to pay claims asserted by the farmers. Many African American farmers were disgruntled because some of the same practices which led to discriminatory practices were not abated by the settlement Order of the Court. The institutional practices complained of by the litigants persist. This paper examines the historical backdrop of discriminatory practices against African American farmers and examines the availability of post Pigford remedies such as promissory and equitable estoppel.
- Subjects
AFRICAN American farmers; RACE discrimination; UNITED States. Dept. of Agriculture; GOVERNMENT programs; UNITED States. Congress; ESTOPPEL; AFRICAN American history
- Publication
Western Journal of Black Studies, 2015, Vol 39, Issue 3, p209
- ISSN
0197-4327
- Publication type
Article