President Obama said making sure that black farmers receive their $1.25 billion settlement for discrimination is a "priority" for his administration.

Black farmers have been fighting for almost two decades for the settlement, which addresses the discriminatory way in which black farmers were denied access to loans, grants and subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"It is a fair settlement, it is a just settlement. We think it's important for Congress to fund that settlement. We're gonna continue to make it a priority," Obama said during a recent press conference. (See Obama's comments at the 47 minute mark of the video below).

The federal government first settled Pigford v. Glickman in 1999, paying out more than $980 million to 16,000 farmers, but many of the black farmers who were discriminated against were not properly notified or given enough time to join the suit.

As a result, a 2007 farm bill introduced by Obama when he was a U.S. Senator, reopened the settlement, and the $1.25-billion figure was agreed upon.

Since then, however, the bill has languished. It has passed twice in the House but has failed seven times in the Senate. On most of those occasions, it has been attached as part of a larger bill. John Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Association has called for a stand alone bill on the measure because many senators claim to support his bill but say they are against the large spending bill the measure is attached to.

Boyd has also called on Obama to use his bully pulpit to help get a stand alone vote on the bill before the midterm elections.



In an interview with Aol BlackVoices, Boyd said the president should step up and help push the measure through.

"Obama should tell Congress to get this done. We'd like to see him use the bully pulpit a little more," said Boyd. "This thing has failed seven times and I think we need the involvement of the president. You know I'm blowing the phone up. I want to hear from the president what he thinks the next steps are."
Obama did not elaborate in what his next steps might be but his speaking out on the topic is a good sign. The editorial boards of two of this country's major newsapers, The New York Times and The Washington Post, have both called on the settlement to be funded.

Boyd fears the issue is caught up in a bipartisan battle and may be derailed if there is a change in leadership after this year's midterm elections. Now is the time to act, he says.

Black farmers are dying in poverty while many others continue to lose their land to foreclosure. The average payout of about $50,000 to each farmer represents less than they deserve, Boyd said. A "half loaf," he called it, but a loaf that will keep many from starvation.