World Ag Expo ~ Black Farmers Request Official Government Investigation

Tulare, CA ~ Official government requests to investigate individual and/or organizational conduct to resolve alleged acts of racial discrimination and disparaging treatment against the efforts of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, Black Farmers of the Pan-African Diaspora and specific nations of the African Union to maximize equal opportunity at the World Ag Expo 2006, Tulare County, California have been submitted.

Unfortunately, in our California Heartland, the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valley, historic institutional racism and disparaging treatment continues to rear it’s ugly head and must be officially addressed because of a difference of opinion toward recognizing basic human dignity.

The World Ag Expo 2006 general manager has resigned and offending language on the website http://www.worldagexpo.com has been removed, however, no consideration of possible long term damage, admission of poor judgment and/or illegal behavior by World Ag Expo management, staff and officials has been publically communicated.

Thus an official investigation is necessary to clearly resolve the offensive behavior, worldwide, just as the offense has been distributed worldwide.

An official boycott of World Ag Expo business sponsoring entities is not warranted at this time because of the appearance of positive action and a belief that a positive outcome in the future is at hand based upon encouraging communication.

Documented U.S. Congressional support to finally resolve a long-standing position of Black Farmers in America, beginning with a series of 2006 U.S. Congressional pending legislatation to resolve the historic Pigford Class Action Lawsuit and provide equal opportunity for Black Farmers in America. One standard of humanity is our goal.

What is necessary is primary source documentation of who, when, why, where and how institutional racism and disparaging treatment originates in the richest Agricultural region of our great nation, the California Heartland at World Ag Expo, Tulare County, California.

Michael Harris, California Director
Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association