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Orlando, FL — Attorney Greg Francis, a champion for the rights of Black Americans, led and won the largest civil rights settlement in the history of civil justice in the U.S., demanding justice for 33,000 Black farmers. It was a settlement of $1.25 billion dollars.“The one thing I learned from that case is that all those farmers wanted was a chance,” Francis said. “They didn’t ask for anything extra. They just wanted to be treated, and to be given the same opportunities, as everyone else. That’s all any of us want.” Tens of thousands of Black farmers allegedly suffered systematic discrimination at the hands of the United States Department of Agriculture between 1981 and 1996. During that period and as part of the discrimination, the USDA allegedly denied Black farmers loans, subsidies, and other benefits provided to white farmers. As part of the settlement, more than 33,000 individual Black Farmers or their heirs received payments of $50,000. This marks the largest civil rights settlement in U.S. history. Since the suit was won in 2010, the United States has seen a 9% increase in Black-owned farms. And this is only the beginning. Greg is starting a conversation in America that addresses the very foundations of our culture. He has created the Greg A. Francis Just Harvest Foundation that is built on the 3 pillars that he believes will help set us on the path to true justice and ensure an end to racial discrimination:
1. Investing in the infrastructure of the Black family, 2. Creating educational opportunities for Black youth,3. Encouraging the creation of new Black-owned businesses and more support of those already existing. With a unique voice to offer in a time of unrest, as he bridges a much-needed gap in this current climate. The highly-anticipated book about his experiences, Just Harvest, was released on May 18th. Topics Greg can discuss include: • How an African-American attorney won the largest civil rights case in history
• The underdog: why it’s always worth the fight
• 5 lessons I learned from Black farmers
• Justice for all or justice for you? It’s everyone’s responsibility
• How to start down the path to true justice through the pillars of his foundation To learn more about Greg Francis and his new book, visit JustHarvestBook.com
For press inquiries, contact Michele Ronsisvalle of Platform Creators at (321) 917-1458 or Michele@Stockworth.com
Edited By Delroy Constantine-Simms with Kande. S. Summers
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