Civil Rights

Where were you? Fifty years ago when President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, where were you and what were you doing? That was the question asked last week as a capacity audience filled a conference room at the USDA Whitten Building to commemorate the passage of this landmark...

June marks the 2014 celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Pride Month. USDA is taking this opportunity to recognize the immeasurable positive contributions made by the LGBT community -- including our coworkers, partners and clients -- to help rural America innovate and thrive...

Earlier this week I caught up with Tom Joyner on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to announce $35 million in grant support for high quality research, teaching and Extension activities at 1890 Historically Black Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. Tom, a graduate of Tuskegee University, and I discussed...

Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King’s vision and legacy by helping others in need. USDA employees from across the country will observe this day through service projects in their communities, working to fulfill Dr. King’s belief that "everybody can be great because everybody can serve." As we take...

In April 2009, Secretary Vilsack called for a new era in civil rights and directed the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (OASCR) to help lead a comprehensive effort to improve USDA’s record. That meant correcting errors, learning from past mistakes, and charting a stronger path for...

Bruce Nelson, el Administrador de la Farm Service Agency (FSA) del Departamento de Agricultura de Estados Unidos dijo hoy que la FSA ha reducido significativamente el número de quejas de derechos civiles en el año fiscal 2010 al nivel más bajo en la historia de la agencia, mientras que al tiempo...

USDA is making an effort to transform the workplace so that all customers are provided the opportunity for success and the numbers show the department is making progress. The Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced this week that it has significantly reduced the number of civil rights complaints in...

Today marks the end of February, and National African American History Month, which has given us an opportunity to reflect on the value of the contributions made to our great nation by African Americans, and in particular, African American farmers and ranchers. To celebrate here in Washington, the...

UPDATE 3/12/2014: USDA is committed to ensuring the integrity and impartiality of the claims process. A neutral, third party has been tasked with overseeing all aspects of the process, including notifications, to make certain that it is fair and equitable. As we move forward, we’re focused on making...

Hoy es un día histórico para el Departamento de Agricultura. En colaboración con nuestros colegas en el Departamento de Justicia, hemos iniciado un programa que les ofrece un camino hacia la justicia a agricultores hispanos y mujeres agricultoras quienes consideran fueron objeto de discriminación...