Black Farmers File Class Action Over USDA Loan Discrimination

Timothy Pigford and 400 Black farmers filed Pigford v. Glickman against the USDA, alleging systematic discrimination in farm loan processing causing thousands to lose land from 1981-1996. USDA data showed Black applicants waited 3-5 times longer for decisions than white applicants. The 1999 consent decree ultimately awarded $1 billion.