Rep. Jackson Introduces First Bill Focused on Strengthening Civil Rights Accountability at U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA has a long history of discriminatory practices
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representative Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01) introduced his first piece of legislation, the Just USDA Standards and Transparency (JUST) Act of 2023, co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Bennie Thompson (MS-02), David Trone (MD-06), Troy Carter (LA-02), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Steve Cohen (TN-09), and Maxwell Frost (FL-10). The legislation is focused on strengthening civil rights accountability at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The USDA was founded in 1862 by President Abraham Lincoln, but racism perpetuated by the Jim Crow South quickly consumed the agency. The Department subsequently turned its back on Black farmers, and discrimination perpetrated through the USDA’s farm lending programs undermined Black farmers’ ability to continue their operations during the 20th century, resulting in over 900,000 Black farmers losing their land — a 98% decline in Black farmers — between 1920 and 1997.
Equity issues in program delivery still exist today. An NPR analysis found that in 2022, only 36% of Black farmers received direct loans from USDA, while their white counterparts received 72%. In addition, some of the biggest gaps in the loan demographics can also be seen in the rejection numbers, where 16% of Black farmers were rejected while only 4% of white farmers were rejected.
To address this issue, the JUST Act of 2023ensures civil rights accountability for the USDA in three key ways:
- Ensures that USDA officials and employees are held accountable for engaging in discriminatory or retaliatory actions, harassment, civil rights violations, or related misconduct;
- Requires USDA to bear the burden of proving by substantial evidence that an adverse decision was valid; and
- Establishes an office of the Civil Rights Ombudsperson and an Office of Legal Advisor for Civil Rights.
"For far too long, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the federal government actively discriminated against Black and other minority farmers," said Rep. Jackson. "While USDA and Congress have made significant strides to right this wrong, a legacy of discrimination remains, and it shows up in the data. Today, I am proud to stand with my colleagues to introduce the Just USDA Standards and Transparency (JUST) Act of 2023 to strengthen civil rights accountability at the USDA."
The bill is endorsed by the Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center, as well as the Rural Coalition.
"The Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center (Policy Center) supports the JUST Act of 2023," said Eloris D. Speight, Director, SDFR Policy Research Center. "We believe that the JUST Act of 2023 is excellent because it makes a number of needed changes to the Office of Civil Rights at USDA to include separation of duties between the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Civil Rights and the addition of an Office of the Civil Rights Ombudsperson. It will also hold USDA employees accountable for discriminatory actions."