Black Farmers Have Not Received Settlement Compensation

Decades after a landmark lawsuit, many Black farmers still await funds promised by the USDA for past discrimination.

Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Agriculture

Black Farmers Have Not Received Settlement Compensation

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Do you trust the federal government to fairly compensate victims of its past discriminatory practices?

Following a 1997 admission of discrimination by the USDA, 30,000 Black farmers were included in the Pigford v. Glickman class action lawsuit. Despite a ruling for nearly $2.2 billion in compensation, some plaintiffs have yet to receive their payments.

Why it matters

The settlement was intended to address systemic bias in local county loan committees that often saw foreclosed land transferred to white neighbors. The failure to distribute these funds reflects ongoing hurdles in achieving justice for impacted families.

The Pigford v. Glickman settlement involved 30,000 Black farmers and a total of nearly $2.2 billion in promised compensation. Specific cases like the 950-acre Bates farm in Kansas highlight the individual scale of losses suffered by these plaintiffs.

The players

Bernard Bates

He was a Kansas farmer and plaintiff in the lawsuit who lost his 950-acre farm to foreclosure.

Timothy Pigford

He was a North Carolina farmer and the namesake of the landmark Pigford v. Glickman class action lawsuit.

Kansas Black Farmers Association

This organization was founded in 1999 to support Black agricultural interests in the region.

The details

The USDA admitted in 1997 that its programs actively discriminated against Black farmers, leading to systemic loan denials. In the case of Bernard Bates, an affidavit signed by a regional credit association official in 2012 confirmed a coordinated plan to remove him from farming.

In the 1980s, weather destroyed crops on the Bates family farm.
The USDA admitted to discriminatory program practices in 1997.
A credit association official signed an affidavit regarding the Bates farm in 2012.
Plaintiff Bernard Bates died in 2022.
Timothy Pigford died in August 2026 at age 74.

Market Landscape

The ongoing issues with the Pigford v. Glickman settlement illustrate broader patterns of institutional failure in providing equitable outcomes for Black agricultural producers. This case highlights a persistent gap in the implementation of federal remedies for historical discrimination.

The inability of farmers to access promised funds has hindered the financial stability of affected families and their ability to maintain land ownership. For the public, these systemic delays underscore the difficulty of securing redress for government-sanctioned economic discrimination.

The takeaway

The legacy of the Pigford v. Glickman lawsuit remains incomplete as long as eligible plaintiffs continue to pass away without receiving their settlements. Families seeking restitution are often forced to navigate decades of bureaucratic hurdles that complicate simple compensation.