Secretary Tom Vilsack On USDA Debt Forgiveness For Black Farmers (The 1A)

Starting June 1, the Department of Agriculture will pay out thousands of dollars in loan forgiveness to Black and minority farmers in a bid to correct for more than a century of discrimination.

More than $4 billion dollars from the American Rescue Plan have been allocated for the program.

But it’s already getting pushback from banks, Republican lawmakers, and white farmers. A lawsuit calling the program “unconstitutional” is currently making its way through the courts.

We talk to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack about the historic – if controversial – program.
Interview: 

https://the1a.org/segments/usda-vilsack-black-farmers/