Black Farmers Ask Congress for Compensation

Thousands of black American farmers  denied part of a landmark $2.3 billion civil rights settlement  are asking Congress for one more chance at compensation, a farm  group said on Tuesday. John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers  Association, said he met with Democrats on Monday and was "very  optimistic" that lawmakers would soon introduce legislation to  help black farmers. In 1999 under the Clinton administration, the federal  government agreed to compensate black farmers for decades of  racial discrimination that shut them out of billions of dollars  in federal subsidies. The U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed  to pay at least $50,000 to each eligible black farmer. [more]