The United States Department of Agriculture has been a recalcitrant and, at times, an immovable object when it comes to diversity and modern views.
The United States Department of Agriculture has been a recalcitrant and, at times, an immovable object when it comes to diversity and modern views.
This massive 100,000 employee agency has a strong history of outright racism. Its views have been very southern and conservative in nature. At times the activities over there have resembled another nation far and away from the US constitution and the land of the free. President Obama has promised change and to change this giant is going to take a massive undertaking.
We all know the plight of the Black farmers with the USDA. That is just one sour side of the activities.
It appears that the president has made the correct start in this mission. He has appointed former Iowa governor Thomas J. Vilsack to become Secretary of Agriculture. Secretary Vilsack has made it clear that change will indeed come to the USDA. The following is part of a letter he sent to each of the 100,000 employees of the agency:
“As you know, civil rights is one of my top priorities. In the Departmental complaint system alone, more than 14,000 complaints have been filed since the year 2000. Approximately 3,000 of these complaints remain to be processed, and questions continue to be raised about the USDA’s handling of complaints. I have said many times that I intend to take definitive action to improve the USDA’s record on civil rights and to move the USDA into a new era as a model employer and premier service provider.
To be successful, all the USDA employees must be committed to making the USDA a model in the federal government for respecting the civil rights of its employees and constituents…I want to acknowledge and applaud those employees across the USDA who have worked hard to improve the Department’s civil rights record. But we need to do better on these efforts and empower the USDA employees to move the USDA into this new era on civil rights.”
He then lays out a 14-point program that includes settling the terrible lawsuit by Black farmers against USDA. They won but after nearly a decade have not been paid. This is long overdue. He ends his three page letter via:
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