|
|
 |
USDA Secretary Vilsack’s Adoption of Diversity Recommendations a
Step in the Right Direction
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is pleased that
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsak took a step in the right direction by adopting
recommendations contained in a two-year study examining the agency’s
longstanding history of discrimination and civil rights injustices. As
evidenced by the 2009 Shirley Sherrod debacle and the thousands of civil
rights and equal opportunity claims against the agency, it is clear that
this was a much needed step and that more work must still be done.
As an organization formed at the request of President John F. Kennedy
in 1963 to mobilize the private bar in the vigorous enforcement of the
nation’s civil rights laws, we remain committed to ensuring racial
justice and equality for all Americans. We have long supported redress
from racial discrimination against African American farmers as with the
Pigford v. Vilsak case and have also supported the objectives for
similar claims of Latinos, Native Americans and women.
It is significant that the Obama Administration, including Senator
Harry Reid, Secretary Vilsak and Assistant Secretary Joe Leonard worked
hard to bring to fruition the huge Pigford settlement in remedying
discriminatory practices against black farmers. It is further
significant that the Pigford legislation provided $3.4 billion to fund a
separate settlement reached with the U.S. Department of Interior for
mishandling of a trust fund managed for Native Americans. While lower
than we would prefer, it is also commendable that just last week, the
Administration announced $1.3 billion in funds to female and Hispanic
farmers to settle USDA
|
