John Boyd, head of the National Black Farmers Association has not emerged to talk with reporters after a 10:30 am meeting with White House staff Thursday. Before going into the session with Michael Strautmanis, Assistant to the President, Boyd did say he was hopeful to receive a financial settlement like the American Indians in their USDA discrimination settlement the day before. "Hopefully we will have news on how we will proceed on the black farmer settlement. I am hopeful we will have different news than what we had been getting," Boyd said. Boyd has also been requesting a meeting with the President. That did not happen at the Wednesday meeting on the White House campus.
During Boyd's interview before the White House session, he did say "about five percent" of any award would go to the attorneys and the rest would be "arbitrated" for those in the Pigford ll class action case.
President Obama allocated $1.25 billion in his 2011budget to settle the 15-year-old case.
But later in the day the White House issued this statement.
Today, White House staff met with John Boyd, founder of the National Black Farmers Association, to discuss the Pigford II settlement. White House staff reiterated the President's commitment on this issue and the need for Congress to act and implement funding for the Black Farmers.