6 july 2016
mr. smith:below is additional information that suggest that washington politics has had an adverse impact on some of those seeking justice at usda, especially, Black farmers. yes, we are questioning those that say otherwise.the demonstration and the filing of the wise v. usda case should shine some light on what we feel is true. i will send you the press release announcing this event on Friday in washington dc, in front of the us supreme court.respectfully,lawrence lucas
it seems little to no one cares in washington about all the pain and suffering inflicted on so many Black farmers and usda employees by us department of agriculture "the last plantation". that is why we (in buses) are coming to washington dc this week.
this is shameful.lawrence lucas, president emeritususda coalition of minority employees856 / 910-2399
From: LawrLCL@aol.com
To: lawrlcl@aol.com
Sent: 3/31/2016 6:17:20 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: FARMER EDDIE WISE....LAND LOST
March 29, 2016
Gary R. GrantOn Thursday, March 17, 2016, Eddie and Dorothy Wise along with several of their friends traveled back to their farm to remove their personal items from what used to be their home. After finally getting a return call from the Federal Marshal's office as to what day and the time, they were told that they could come on that particular Thursday. They would be allotted 8:00am until 4:00pm that afternoon. Eddie and Dorothy agreed.However, we must let everyone know that we had called Congressman G. K. Butterfield's office earlier because Eddie had not received any call backs from the marshal's office despite the fact that he had called at least three times before a return call to him was made. I had been talking with Eddie through all of this. I wondered if there was some playing around with this man, his wife, and his property. At first, according to several people we know who have who knowledge about the date of the sale of the farm, they all were saying that the sale would take place on March 17. However, since that was not the date for the sale, why did it take them so long to let Eddie know that March 17 was the date for him to remove their personal belongings? And finally, why did it take a call to the congressman's office to get a date and time for Eddie to go and retrieve his and Dorothy's personal belongs.Then, on March 17, Eddie was waiting for some friends from a bit of a distance to assist in the packing and removal of his and Dorothy's things. It was about 9am everyone was in place. According to Eddie, the same marshal who served him the papers called at approximately 9am and without asking any questions, immediately confronted Eddie, saying something to the effect that "you know you were supposed to be here at 8am and you only have until 4pm to remove your stuff." Eddie says that he replied, "Sir, you do not want to upset me today!" The marshal then calmed down. Eddie swears that he did not even say "good morning," but just jumped right on him about being late.Unfortunately, my schedule did not allow me to go and help Eddie that day, but his friend John, from Durham, who took the original pictures of the marshal serving the removal papers did attempt to help out. He was immediately informed by the same agent that "this is federal property and you are not allowed on this property." Thus, there are no pictures of the packing and loading of the trucks on the farm.John did station himself at the entrance to the farm and traveled with Eddie and others to the storage facility where all the personal belongings are now stored.Just as Eddie does not understand, it is really difficult even for me to grasp the fact that the mobile house owned by Eddie and Dorothy which was not a part of any loan from the USDA, somehow became collateral for the delayed loan they received. Now to add insult to injury, it has been taken by the government. The Wises are indeed homeless. This is a strange action by a government that is supposed to be "for the people."Photos: Eddie Wise takes a break as friends help him unload and put his and Dorothy's personal belongings in storage. He was forced to secure two storage bends which added another $150.00 to his monthly bills since his eviction. While he may be tired, this is the first time that I have seen pictures of him with this much pain and agony on his face.
Any assistance you can provide is needed and appreciated! Consider paying for a week of their hotel room, a week's worth of groceries, or anything you can offer. To make a contribution go to https://www.gofundme.com/39m8623g.IMMEDIATE NEEDSEddie and Dorothy are living out of suitcases in a nearby hotel. In the short term they need assistance with these monthly expenses.Hotel $800Food $650Medications $300Fuel $200Car Payment $336Truck Payment $259Storage Building Rental $200Total $2,745 /monthPlus $400 per hour for attorneySAVE THE FARM STEPSEddie and Dorothy want the same opportunities given to their farming neighbors over the years. They are committing to keeping this farm in agriculture for the next generation. They simply need a fair chance to succeed. At present Eddie and Dorothy want the following.Eliminate all Farm Debt $575,000
Hello!
I've started the petition "Barack Obama: Stop the egregious hate crimes committed against the Independent Black Farmers and the USDA employees. Demand USDA to settle the cases of The IBF and employees on the merits of each case." and need your help to get it off the ground.
Will you take 30 seconds to sign it right now? Here's the link:
http://www.change.org/petitions/barack-obama-stop-the-egregious-hate-crimes-committed-against-the-independent-black-farmers-and-the-usda-employees-demand-usda-to-settle-the-cases-of-the-ibf-and-employees-on-the-merits-of-each-case
Here's why it's important:
This petition was started as a result of the US Dept. of Agriculture and the federal courts in all districts of the United States not following the laws when it comes to Black farmers. Americans should sign this petition because of the blatant egregious widespread discrimination at USDA Better known as "The Last Plantation." Black farmers need equal protection under the laws of the United States of America! Signing this petition can impact the lives of tens of thousands of Black farmers and their heirs across America. There are 14,000 plus cases of discrimination inside USDA unresolved, they need to be settled.
You can sign my petition by clicking here.
Thanks!
Ferrell C. Oden
Subj: last night: radio station silenced the truth...our freedom under attack
now we really know how badly america want to keep our voices silent. last night with more than 20 minutes left to go on radio, we were abruptly cut off and told by the radio host, that the radio station owner (as i remember) told her..... the talk radio host, to shut us down because of the subject matter being discussed......."discrimination at the us department of agriculture".
this is an example as to how hostile america is....the news media in america....regarding the truth when it comes to people of color in this country, especially, Black people. our desire for freedom of speech, justice, dignity, and respect was attacked last night on that new jersey radio show and we must not be silent nor silenced.
this is a very serious matter that should generate a very serious response. what happened to us last night was an absolute insult.lawrence lucas, president
usda coalition of minority employees
good morning gentlemenBlack College Instructor Claims She Was Punished For Discussing Racism
The Huffington Post | By Tyler Kingkade Posted: 12/03/2013 3:47 pm ESTA black community college instructor in Minneapolis claims she was formally reprimanded over a discussion on racism in one of her classes.Shannon Gibney, an English faculty member at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, told MCTC student newspaper City College News in a video interview that three white students filed a complaint against her with the school after a discussion on structural racism in one of her communications classes.In the interview, which was posted by the college newspaper to YouTube, Gibney says a white student interrupted her lesson to ask "Why do we have to talk about this in every class?" Another white male in the class then chimed in, Gibney told the student paper, saying he didn't understand either. "It's like people are trying to say that white men are always the villains, the bad guys. Why do we have to say this?" the student asked, according to Gibney.Gibney said that when she told the students that they could file a complaint with the college's legal affairs department if they were so unhappy with the discussion, they took her up on her offer. That led to an official reprimand from the school in early November, she claims.Gibney told The Huffington Post she could not comment further because the case is in appeal.MCTC would not confirm that Gibney had been reprimanded after a student complaint, citing privacy laws. The school did, however, deny reprimanding her for leading a discussion on structural racism."The college has taken no steps to prohibit faculty members from teaching about racism, including structural racism," college spokeswoman Dawn Skelly told HuffPost. "MCTC has never disciplined a faculty member for teaching or discussing structural racism. Conversations about race, class and power are important and regular parts of many classes at MCTC and have been for years."City College News reported that after Gibney spoke with the student newspaper, she was told she risks further punishment for violating the unnamed white male students' privacy.MCTC noted in a statement that nearly one in four of the school's employees are minorities, and that "of the eight new full-time faculty hires the college made for fall 2012, six are people of color."More than half of the 13,874 students enrolled at MCTC in fall 2013 are persons of color, according to the college.The story was first reported last month by City College News, but was picked up by outlets like the Raw Story and Salon on Monday.Gibney is not filing a lawsuit against the school, but is submitting a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleging workplace discrimination at MCTC, Minnesota Public Radio reported.ALSO ON HUFFPOST:
