Page 14 - Carrer Channel Magazine 1

Bill & Laura Brown (1950's)

When WWII ended, food prices went back By the turn of the century, former slaves
down again, so farmers had to take out and their descendents had amassed 14
loans to pay for their taxes, land and million acres of land (modern farmer);
equipment they had bought. This opened per capita there were more black
up an opportunity for banks to foreclose formers than white farmers. But by the
on black farmer’s property, allowing white turn of the 21st century , 90 percent of
interests to come in and purchase their that land had been lost. How did this
land for a fraction of the cost. happen?

WHEN JAMES ARRIVED IN BARNESVILLE, THE LAND WAS RAW, AND
FILLED WITH TREES, TWIGS AND FOLIAGE. THE LAND WAS

INACCESSIBLE, AND THERE WAS NO INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE.

Discriminatory lending and/or failure to Heirs property is another way that black
lend by banks in the south, forced many farmers lost access to their land through
black farmers into foreclosure. White a partition sale, one that is the result of
interests, whether it be corporate or a distant heir/relative forcing the
teacher retirement funds would swoop in shared owners into a sale of the
and purchase the property. These property. Without an official deed or
corporate entities, serving their own title black farmers were often forced off
interests pushed the smaller black farmers their land. Heirs property have
out. In addition, systemic institutional historically not been eligible for
discrimination lead by the USDA prohibited programs through USDA, adding
black farmers from having access to another layer to the economic disparity.
programs and funding managed by locally
elected boards because their land was
shared, or heirs property.

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