Volume 6, Number
9
February 3, 2003
The Farmer
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Re: Re: "A Letter to Black Farmers"
by Dr. Ridgely Abdul Mu’min Muhammad
After posting "A Letter to Black Farmers" on the "Blacklist" list service, I
got two very interesting rebuttals (given below). I posted a response to both of those comments and
felt that the readers of "The Farmer Newsletter" would be interested in the debate.
Subject: Re: [TheBlackList] A Letter to Black Farmers
"Unfortunately, due to size advantages of larger and more industrial farming
outfits, Black farms will have a tough time competing. Laws and cries
of racism will not help them, since ultimately most laws in this country
favor big business. Time is on the side of these larger and more industrialized
farms that will simply slowly and irrevocably siphon away small
farm market share. I see the only solution for their survival is to form
a collective "industrial and real estate" fund to purchase large swathes
of agriculturally rich property and advanced, efficient, high-capacity
farm machinery. In addition, they must attract large numbers of
field workers (possibly a new source of jobs for unemployed Blacks).
In essence, these farms must obsolete themselves and take on a new
structure of business or be obseleted and be vanquished forever.
Regards, John"
Re:Re:…
Although John’s analysis that larger more mechanized farms make more money is true in most
cases, this begs the question of whether this "industrialization" of agriculture will
continue to make our Black communities in the cities the recipients of the "least fresh, and
least nutritious, of life-giving foods"? The issue here is that Mumia does not trust the white
system to provide healthy food for Black people. I believe that if Black farmers were given $331
billion dollars in subsidies over a 10 year period from 1982 to 1992, as was given to white farmers,
they could compete. The USDA using your tax money put them out of business, not economies of scale
or size. And since these Black farmers are not "soldiers" for the "merchants of
death" they would produce healthier food for our people.
I agree that a fund should be developed to save Black owned land and develop the capital base for
a more efficient production, processing and distribution system controlled by Black people. We
invite you to the "5th National Black Land Loss Summit" February, 7-9, 2003 outside
Greensboro, NC where one such "fund" will be unveiled. For we know that the same
government that took our tax money and gave it to white farmers have no intention of allowing Black
farmers to get back into business. The goal of the USDA is to destroy the family farm on the planet
Earth, PERIOD. We also know that this government which developed HIV/AIDS and "terminator
gene" technology is continuing their efforts to destroy Black life with new and more effective
biological and chemical weapons. We will have to finance our own survival.
If the Black farmer is "obsolete" then so are we, the Black eaters of white folks’
poisons. The fact that some white people will also die as "acceptable causalities" in this
war of genocide, does not numb my instincts and resolve for survival and self-preservation. We thank
our brother Mumia, who even from prison, can see this.
Subject: Re: [TheBlackList] A Letter to Black Farmers
"I think Black Farmers should set up farms in countries on the African continent.
Rent out their land in the USA. They will make enough capital that
they could buy some of the large agriculture companies in the USA or make
trouble by paying off politicians. Or they can stay and farm in Africa or
even countries in the Caribbean. White farmers are going to Brazil to do the
same thing.
Black Farmer have been complaining for years, now they can do something about
it.
Martin V Burrows Jr."
Re:Re:…
Bro. Martin said, "I think Black Farmers should set up farms in countries on the African
continent. Rent out their land in the USA." Unfortunately, most Black farmers are already
renting out their land. As a part of the Black Land Loss Summit we will have representatives from
African countries to present opportunities for farming in Africa. However, I have a friend that has
lived in Zimbabwe for 2 years on 4500 acres of land. He has been able to farm only 5 acres of this
land, because he does not have any capital or equipment. The government does not have any money to
give him and non-profits like Ford and Kellogg Foundations will not give him any money.
I find it amusing how easy it is for people who do not own land to tell those that due own land
to pack up and move to Africa. We say that we want to be more "African", while at the same
time disregarding the deep roots that Africans have for tribal and family land. Black farmers feel
more like "Africans" about their land than do most of us. Why don’t more of our
"professional" class that have been complaining about discrimination in America’s work
force since slavery pack up and move to Africa? They certainly need your expertise and the money
that you have amassed in the "Bellie of the Beast".
Again, who will fund our survival here? When will we start "taxing" ourselves and then
trusting ourselves with our own capital to invest in ourselves? We are the financial backbone for
America. When will we get a "backbone" and use our wealth for self? Time is running out in
the play pen. Break your chains of mental "house arrest".
If you want more information about what is going on with Black farmers, your food supply and what
we do everyday to solve these problems please visit us at: http://www.muhammadfarms.com.
Peace, Dr. Ridgely Abdul Mu’min