A Brief History of Black Farmers & Land Access in the U.S. (Part 1)

We've compiled a brief timeline of the history of land access for Black farmers in the US - a history underscored by systemic discrimination and dispossession. We hope this timeline can serve as a jumping off point from which you can continue your own research, starting with the resources we've shared below. Next week, we will continue with an acknowledgement of how these course of events impact Black farmers today.

Resource List

Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities: “Policy Brief: Land-Grant But Unequal”

This report provides a detailed history of land-grant universities, from the First Morrill Act of 1862, to the Second Morrill Act of 1890, to steps that can be taken to address the inequities that are still present today. The report highlights that as of 2013 over 50% of HBCUs received unequal funding from their state compared to the historically white land-grant universities in their states.

“To be land-grant but unequal is a strange place to be for a land-grant system that was created to bring education to agricultural and industrial citizens in each state. Staying true to the original intent of the Morrill Acts, 1890 land-grant universities have contributed and continue to contribute greatly to research, extension services and academic training to citizens and farmers. However, many of these institutions have been doing so in states that have not met their obligation to provide matching funds to these institutions.”

Civil Eats: “Inside the Push to Bring Racial Equity to Land Grant Universities"

This piece highlights the “underdog campaign” to address systemic racism in land grant universities--the universities established under the Morrill Acts. The article discusses ways that structural racism is built into these institutions--such as in research programs--and highlights existing programs aimed at addressing these inherent inequities.

“Seeing public and land grant universities ‘through the lens of racial equity,’ Ammons and her colleagues explain, means acknowledging the systemic racism that has powered America’s astounding agricultural productivity, and educated a workforce to make that possible. But that system also left—and still leaves—large swaths of the population out when it comes to reaping the benefits of the bounty.”

Eater: “How Racism Has Shaped the American Farming Landscape”

This article explores the history of structural racism within U.S. agriculture--from discriminatory laws to discriminatory practices within the USDA and absence of reparations after the abolition of slavery. The article traces this history to our present moment--highlighting efforts that center equity and diversity within farming while also recognizing explicit steps we can take to increase equity in agriculture. 

“Farming in the United States is enmeshed with both racism and capitalism in a way that has had a profound impact on who owns, accesses, and benefits from farmland.”

National Farmers Union: “Juneteenth and the Broken Promise of ‘40 Acres and a Mule’”

During and following the Civil War, there was the question of what emancipation would look like for freed slaves who didn’t have property, money, or an education. Special Field Order No. 15 was introduced as a way to give newly emancipated slaves a path towards economic independence. This article outlines the Order’s inception and introduction, its ultimate demise when it was overturned in less than a year, and the lasting implications this reversal has for Black Americans.

“...by some estimates, the value of 40 acres and mule for those 40,000 freed slaves would be worth $640 billion today.”

NYT: “1619” Episode 5: The Land of Our Fathers, Part 1 & 2

In this episode,  producers Adizah Eghan and Annie Brown speak with June and Angie Provost, farmers whose lineage traces back to Louisiana’s sugar-cane plantations. The Provosts’ share their own experiences while the hosts trace the history of Black landownership in the U.S. from the Civil War to the 20th century. 

The Zinn Education Project: “June 21, 1866: Southern Homestead Act”

This piece provides more context and detail surrounding the realities of the Southern Homestead Act.

“...a lack of agricultural resources (seeds, tools, and farm animals), the poor quality of most of the land, and persecution by whites made it difficult for African Americans to take advantage of this opportunity.”