Pigford v. Glickman Consent Decree Awards $1 Billion to Black Farmers

Federal Judge Paul Friedman approved the Pigford v. Glickman consent decree, the largest civil rights settlement in USDA history. Approximately 16,000 Black farmers received an average $50,000 each, while a second track allowed larger claims with higher evidentiary requirements. The number of Black-operated farms had declined from 925,000 in 1920 to under 18,000 by 1997, with discriminatory federal lending a documented cause.