Pigford: One Word Prayer for Black Farmers

National Ag Day ~ California Black Farmers Prepare for Explosive Economic Development.

Washington D.C. ~ President Barack Obama met today with the Congressional Black Caucus, lead by Congresswoman Barbara Lee Oakland, California, in the White House State Dining Room.

An engaged majority of the 43 members attended the meeting with most of the discussion focused on jobs for people of color and minority owned small business.

At the very end of the hour long session, Democratic Majority Whip, Congressman James Clyburn handed a note to President Obama.

That piece of paper had one word on it, Pigford.

The President then began a discussion on the Black Farmers Pigford II settlement and how to pay the 1.25 billion dollar restitution. Thousands of Black Farmers have been waiting for closure that stem from discrimination by the USDA.

Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, California Director, Michael Harris called today's Congressional Black Caucus meeting in the White House a new beginning for the last major push to "Restore Agriculture as the Foundation of Black Culture."

"California Black Agriculture is poised for explosive job creation, career development and economic development through utilizing health and human services cost savings by creating access to healthy fruits and vegetables by employing Black youth from within 15% and higher unemployment census tracts, statewide."

Broader participation in all aspects of the California Department of Food and Agriculture programs funded by USDA resources that remain a separatete but equal public policy notion by statue beginning in 1862 with the establishment of the "People's Department."

Centuries of lost productive utility caused by exclusionary practices could be measured and quantified here in California.

Black Land Loss and the natural economic exploitation within the State of California beginning in 1848, the first U.S. Black Diplomat, William Alexander Leidesdorff, Jr. continues today throughout the #1 U.S. agriculture state.

California has unique racial exclusionary practices that continue to impact Black Agriculture, especially in Black communities suffering from economic exploitation statewide and with lost economic opportunity with our global extended family of Black Agriculture producers.

National Agriculture Day, March 18, 2010 in Washington D.C. and California Agriculture Day, March 23, 2010, California State Capitol, we will highlight the contributions of Black Agriculture from sea to shinning sea.

We will make a compelling case for our Congressional Delegation to support Pigford II and our California Legislature to mandate implementation of new U.S. Farm Policy to expand equity and equal opportunity and begin to consider dignity an respect for Black Agriculture in California.

Black Agriculture in the 21st Century is our nationwide concept poised to establish a "Rebirth of Agriculture as the Foundation of Black Culture" through expanding our USDA ~ Community Based Organization Partnership throughout the Great State of California.

"First Sista" Michelle Obama, says "Let's Move" and we believe she correct in offering a new scientific peer review paradigm of actually including healthy fresh fruits and vegetables in health care reform.

If our nation's "first children" can from "healthy solutions" then an entire nation can embrace elevated levels of economic development and productive utility necessary to compete, globally.

Pigford, a one word prayer.

National Ag Day 2010, we invite our nationwide "faith based" community leaders to embrace the need for prayer for Black Farmers and action to provide healthy solution for epidemic levels of diet related disease within the Black Church.

Our nations #1 Agriculture region, the Great State of California, should lead the way for explosive economic development utilizing Black Agriculture.