Shirley Sherrod was hired by Ag Secy Tom Vilsack shortly after shakedown for $13M

Hot Politicians ^ | 7-19-10

[STARWISE]

That's right.

She doesn't know her a$$ from a hole in the ground about agriculture, and she said as much on tape.

She's a racial set-aside queen. Read below.

Successful and Unsuccessful Claims Must Be "Interrelated" to Recover Attorney Fees for Unsuccessful Claims

Shirley Sherrod named Georgia Director of Rural Development

Quote:

RDLN Graduate and Board Vice Chair Shirley Sherrod was appointed Georgia Director for Rural Development by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on July 25.

Only days earlier, she learned that New Communities, a group she founded with her husband and other families (see below) has won

a thirteen million dollar settlement in the minority farmers law suit Pigford vs Vilsack.

In announcing the appointment of Shirley and other new officials, Secretary Vilsack said that

"These individuals will be important advocates on behalf of rural communities in states throughout the country and help administer the valuable programs and services provided by the USDA that can enhance their economic success."

Shirley is a graduate in the first group of RDLN Leaders and serves as Vice Chair of our Board of Directors. She earned her master's degree from Antioch through RDLN, has helped orient every group of RDLN participants, and has taken leadership in many other ways.

She serves as Georgia lead for both the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund and the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI).

Minority Farm Settlement

Justice Achieved - Congratulations to Shirley and Charles Sherrod!

We have wonderful news regarding the case of New Communities, Inc., the land trust that Shirley and Charles Sherrod established, with other black farm families in the 1960's.

At the time, with holdings of almost 6,000 acres, this was the largest tract of black-owned land in the country. Now with a cash award of historic proportions, the group will be able to begin again.

In 1969, New Communities received a planning grant from OEO and was encouraged to expect substantial funding for implementation, but Governor Maddox would not permit further funds for the group to come into the state.

Nevertheless, New Communities built up farming operations to help retain the land. They had highway frontage where they had a farmers market to sell their crops.

They raised hogs and sold the processed meat in a smokehouse they built on the highway. Their sugar cane mill on the highway also attracted customers. New Communities was ahead of the times in raising eight acres of Muscatine grapes, which are now widely grown in the area. They also farmed 1,500 acres of row crops, including corn, peanuts and soybeans.

Over the years, USDA refused to provide loans for farming or irrigation and would not allow New Communities to restructure its loans. Gradually, the group had to fight just to hold on to the land and finally had to wind down operations.

In 1985, as the land was being lost, Shirley entered the RDLN program. Previously, she had worked behind the scenes, but as she participated in RDLN, she began to realize her capacity as an up-front leader.

She invited the Federation of Southern Cooperatives to sponsor her in the RDLN program, earned her master's degree with a thesis that continues to provide a blueprint for her ongoing work with black farmers and others, helped orient all succeeding groups of RDLN Leaders, and became vice chair of RDLN's Board of Directors.

As you all know, Shirley is Georgia Lead for both the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund and the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative. She has also chaired the board of the Farmers Legal Action Group, which has been active in the minority farmers law suit, along with the Federation and other groups.

FSC and SRBWI hosted RDLN's National Network Assembly in 2006, during which Network members had a chance to immerse themselves in Civil Rights history, with the guidance of Shirley and Charles (the first field director of SNCC), Albany singers and others, and to visit the economic development projects that have grown out of that Civil Rights history.

The cash award acknowledges racial discrimination on the part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the years 1981-85. (President Reagan abolished the USDA Office of Civil Rights when he became President in 1981.)

New Communities is due to receive approximately $13 million ($8,247,560 for loss of land and $4,241,602 for loss of income; plus $150,000 each to Shirley and Charles for pain and suffering).

There may also be an unspecified amount in forgiveness of debt. This is the largest award so far in the minority farmers law suit (Pigford vs Vilsack).

The attorney for New Communities has been Rose Sanders of Chestnut Sanders and Sanders, sister of National Rural Fellows graduate Harold Gaines and Advisor for RDLN Leaders Lillie Fields and Rose Hill.

No one can compensate those involved with New Communities for the difficult history they experienced. The award covers only a few of the years in question. Nevertheless, with these funds, New Communities will be able to start work again -- forty years later -- to realize the promise of their original dream, reconnect with the legacy of the Civil Rights movement, and meet the challenge of the needs and opportunities of the current historical moment.

[STARWISE]

ACORN of the fields ...

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Beat me to it.

[STARWISE]

~~Ping!

National Community Land Trust Network - Keynote Speaker: Shirley Sherrod

Shirley Sherrod is the director of field operations for the Federation of Southern Cooperatives in Georgia.

For more than 30 years, Shirley has devoted her life to the civil rights movement by working on social justice issues.

Through her work at the Federation of Southern Cooperatives, she developed a program of outreach, education, and technical assistance for small and limited resource farmers throughout Georgia.

She also serves as the Georgia State Lead for the Southwest Georgia Project for Community Education, Inc., Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI). SRBWI promotes the first human rights agenda in the United States aimed at eradicating historical race, class, cultural, religious and gender barriers experienced by southern rural black women.

The initiative is a three state initiative operating in 77 counties in Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Two other organizations involved in this initiative are the Children's Defense Fund in Mississippi and the Federation of Childcare Centers in Alabama.

Shirley's work began in 1965 as an organizer with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Southwest Georgia Project. She helped to start the land trust, New Communities, Inc., that had 6,000 acres of land.

~~~~~

Just your typical community organizing leftist racist activist in search of retribution and reparations ...

[STONEWALLS]

...my neighbor spent 35 years with USDA in Beltsville, MD headqyarters...he felt that the black farmer’s law suits were nothing more than shakedowns...the reason that so many black farmers were turned down for loans is because they were bad farmers with weak credit...the reason that blacks are largely an urban people today; is because they couldn’t make a go of farming in the first place.

[bamahead]

Check out her quote from a 1999 documentary entitled 'Homecoming':
http://newsreel.org/transcripts/homecomi.htm

Shirley Sherrod, Albany Office, FSC: It makes you wonder sometimes why is it that it took Farmers Home Administration that long to, to send a notice. Why is it that the county supervisor didn't send any kind of letter, you know, leading up to getting' the delinquent notices in '87. So many strange things happen when you have only white people in charge of dealing with our people.

The documentary homepage: http://newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0044

[reagandemocrat]

***New Communities is due to receive approximately $13 million ($8,247,560 for loss of land and $4,241,602 for loss of income; plus $150,000 each to Shirley and Charles for pain and suffering***

The New Communities Trust was established by the Sherrods, but the article doesn’t say how much of the Trust they own; only that they recieved “pain and suffering” damages of $300,000.

They probably received much more personally based on their Trust holdings.

[Flightdeck]

Race-Pimping: for those who wanna get rich but lack the talent and work ethic to do it honestly.

[Deb]

This is like a horror movie. How can this country survive?

[Cheetahcat]

What a joke how can that mental midget get even a job as a motel maid?

[Enchante]

"earned her master's degree with a thesis that continues to provide a blueprint for her ongoing work with black farmers and others"

Is there a FReeper in that area who could try to track down that master's thesis?? Academic libraries and programs usually keep such things on file, although it may already be as "unavailable" as all of Obama's life and records.

Given her racist outlook and past, there are likely to be some doozy statements in that "thesis" I'd say....

[Southack]

So she sued the USDA, won, and then got appointed onto the USDA?

Did the USDA deliberately lose the case in order to funnel the settlement to her?

[MadelineZapeezda]

All of the government workers should have their resumes scrutinized.....they are prolly filled with lies

[Enchante]

"New Communities is due to receive approximately $13 million ($8,247,560 for loss of land and $4,241,602 for loss of income; plus $150,000 each to Shirley and Charles for pain and suffering).

Given her own racism she should be paying US (the taxpayers) for our "pain and suffering" at being forced to fund racists like her....

[motherof 3]

I wonder how much money Shirley and her husband have personally used. Where is their house, what taxes did they pay? The media investigates Joe Plumber. What about 13 million dollar Shirley, she has a scam going.

[penelopesire]

Great post. The 13 million is just the start of what Obama and Holder have planned to give away in this bogus shakedown. The total taxpayer giveaway is 1.25 BILLION DOLLARS. See this post I found last night. It has all the statements from the usual suspects and race baiters.

Info on the lawsuit here(not sure about the website but it has the statements of all the players):

http://beginningfarmers.org/vilsack-and-holder-announce-pigford-ii-usda-settlement-with-black-farmers/

Vilsack and Holder Announce ‘Pigford II’ USDA Settlement with Black Farmers

USDA Press Release No. 0073.10

(snip)

NAACP – Hilary O. Shelton, Director of Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy:

“The NAACP applauds the USDA for taking this crucial step today to finally close what is a painful, but sadly all too pervasive, chapter in our Nation’s history. We would like to commend President Obama, Secretary Vilsack, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Dr. Joe Leonard and others for their commitment to seeing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture fully address this significant injustice and allow all who were affected to seek remedy. The NAACP is now committed to partnering with the USDA and the Congress to try to see that the full $1.25 billion requested by President Obama to help resolve the Pigford claims in his FY 2011 budget proposal is fulfilled. We are further committed to working with the Administration and the Congress to try to level the playing field and to prevent future discrimination against America’s farmers.”

[WakeUpAndVote]

Here is a read on the shakedown.

http://www.ruraldevelopment.org/shirleydirector.html

[FreedomPoster]

The one link talks about her getting her masters degree at Antioch University in OK. There doesn’t appear to be any such thing.

hmmmmm . . .

[hoosiermama]

They’re waving a red flag in one hand to keep us from looking to see what the other hand is doing....

She gets her job back or better in order to keep her silent.
She cancells out of Megan Kelly. (which was just a ruse to get what she wanted)

Hope LEO are keeping track of her bank account etc.

Other money might also have been to buy her silence. SO what has she stumbled across in her job?

[opentalk]

bump

[Buckeye McFrog]

the reason that blacks are largely an urban people today; is because they couldn’t make a go of farming in the first place.

Not a fair statement, as I have seen black farmers in the South who worked extremely hard to bring in their crops. (we just don’t see any of them up here in the North. The rural black population of my state is 0.02%))