The Farmer

government
to speed up settlement payments to black farmers in a
discrimination lawsuit was defeated yesterday after
coming up against the unlikeliest of opponents: black
congressional leaders.  The non-binding resolution,
requiring a two-thirds majority under a special House
procedure, fell to a 216-180 vote with the Congressional Black
Caucus (CBC) leading 179 Democrats
and one independent in opposing it. The full story can be found
at:

right thing by exposing the double tongue
of Rep. Dickey, but it certainly would have been better
for them to defeat his resolution and introduce their own.
We will see.” Grant further added that “Glickman
and his crew of lynch men/women did nothing yesterday
to give me hope. They lie as a matter of principle — no conscious.
Waters is great –too bad we don’t have more like her.” Some
200 Black farmers and 100 more supporters held a rally in the park at
14th and Independence across from the USDA building on Monday, May 8th.
Fifteen states were represented and the Rally was endorsed
by 60 organizations. The organizers had invited
all members of the Congressional Black Caucus to join them in protesting
continued discrimination and stonewalling by the USDA.
However, none showed up except Rep. Maxine Waters. 
She not only showed up but “showed out”. She gave a
blistering speech lecturing the USDA, the Justice
Department and the FBI for what she said was a” conspiracy against the
Black farmer”. “It is a shame,” she said,
“that you and I have to keep on coming to Washington
to deal with this same issue time and time again. When we had the hearings for
the Black farmers we thought that we were
on our way. When we removed the statute of limitations, we
thought we were almost there. When the Consent Decree was written
by Judge Freedman, we thought we had
finally arrived. But here we are again, time and time again.”
Rep. Waters did not just stay and talk, she led the rally across
the street to visit Dan Glickman.
Although the Black farmers were told before hand that Glickman was
not in town, and after another 13 farmers went to jail
after trying to peacefully enter the USDA to talk
with Glickman and/or his lynch people, and after Rep. Waters insistence
on entering the building herself, finally Glickman popped up and invited her,
Gary Grant and lawyers Stephon Bowens
and Darlene Smith to enter and voice their concerns. According to Gary Grant,
“When Rep. Waters asked questions, Glickman and his
lynch men/women flinched. You could tell by their facial expressions
and body language that they were lying and being found out
by Rep. Waters.” Grant further added that he had
never seen anyone methodically tear down a wall of lies to get to the
truth so eloquently as did Waters. When
Gary Grant came back outside to tell the farmers and supporters what
happened in the meeting between Glickman and Rep. Waters, the chant rang
out “Waters for President, Waters for
President!” Dr. Ridgely Muhammad adds, ” Rep.
Maxine Waters has already investigated the government’s
role in bringing drugs into the Black community. Now she is
uncovering the conspiracy against the
Black farmers and ultimately the contamination of the food supply of
Black people in the cities. Let us now march to the
Democratic Convention to be held in L.A. in August and
continue the chant: ‘Waters for President!’ “

Peace, Doc