Senator J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) He had a lot of harsh words in his Sunday morning media bombardment, but one of his comments got far less attention than others. Vance described a federal program that distributed nearly $2 billion to black farmers who had experienced discrimination as “a disgrace,” suggesting that it was racial discrimination against whites.
And now the head of the nation’s largest organization of black farm owners is condemning Vance’s claims.
“He owes us an apology,” John Boyd, Jr., founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, told me. Boyd added that the remarks were “shameful, degrading, foolish, degrading and disrespectful to the black farmer in America, the oldest profession in black history.”
A Vance spokesperson also did not respond to questions. Mother Jones In addition to asking for the senator’s full remarks from his appearance on CBS to be included, Facing the countryWhen Vance was asked about the racist attack on his wife, Usha Vance, he condemned it and added:
Frankly, I think a lot of people on the left are banking on this by trying to categorize people by skin color and give them special benefits or special discrimination. For example, the Harris administration gave people farm benefits based on skin color. I think that’s a shame. I don’t think we should say that if you’re a black farmer, you get farm benefits, and if you’re a white farmer, you don’t get farm benefits. Every farmer wants to thrive, and that’s certainly how President Trump and JD Vance see things.
But Vance’s claim here is an inaccurate portrayal of the Discrimination Financial Assistance Program, a federal program established through the Inflation Reduction Act. Contrary to Vance’s claim, applicants were not limited to black farmers. any Farmers who have experienced discrimination by the USDA, including on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age or disability, are eligible to apply. Last month, USDA announced that more than 43,000 payments had been made across all 50 states through the program, which Congress allocated $2.2 billion for.
USDA does not release data on the racial breakdown of farmers who received funding through DFAP, but Boyd said 85 percent of the money went to black farmers. “Because it’s clear that we were treated the worst.” The government’s history of discrimination against black farmers is well documented, including: Mother Jones‘The recent award-winning investigation, “40 Acres and a Lie,” was conducted in partnership with the Center for Public Integrity. reveal—A book that documents how the federal government stole land given to black farmers after the Civil War. Black farmers also faced barriers to loans, credit, and assistance compared to white farmers.
That hasn’t stopped some whites, including Vance and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-C.), from arguing that federal aid to Black farmers perpetuates “reverse racism.” White farmers have also sued Congress over promised debt relief for Black farmers that was approved in 2021, claiming they were discriminated against.
The Trump-Vance endorsement is now “off the table,” Boyd said in response to Vance’s comments. He called Vice President Kamala Harris a “breath of fresh air,” but Boyd urged Harris to support Black farmers before the election, specifically through debt relief for Black farmers. The Harris campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Meanwhile, Boyd is still waiting for an apology from Vance, but he’s not holding his breath. “We got our money,” Boyd said. He added that DFAP is “a huge win for black farmers.”
