Mississippi News
Congress hears about plight of Black Delta farmers
Congress hears about plight of Black Delta farmers featured in Mississippi Today investigation
The struggles of Black farm workers in the Mississippi Delta losing jobs and being paid lower wages than white guest workers were brought in front of a U.S. congressional committee on Wednesday.
Mississippi attorney Ty Pinkins traveled to the nation’s capital to testify in front of the House Education and Labor Committee, which is examining the H-2A and H-2B farm workers visa programs. The H-2A program was the focus of a recent Mississippi Today investigation that found several farmers misusing it to underpay and push out Black workers from their jobs in favor of workers from South Africa.
โDespite all the laws and regulations designed to protect American workers against unfair competition, local farm workers in the Delta have been displaced as area farmers each year import more and more foreign workers,โ Pinkins testified.
Pinkins, a retired Army officer and son of a Delta farm worker, has worked closely with Black workers fighting discrimination in Delta. He has helped file two discrimination lawsuits against Mississippi farms with more in the pipeline.
โAbsent major changes in the way the H-2A program is administered and its rules enforced, there won’t be another American generation of local Black farm workers in the Delta,โ Pinkins told representatives.
Pinkins also referenced Mississippi Today’s extensive reporting during his five-minute testimony.
READ MORE: Exploited: White Delta farm owners are underpaying and pushing out Black workers
Near the hearing’s end, the focus came back to Mississippi after speakers covered the conditions from Georgia to the Carlonias and California.
Rep. Mark Takano, a Democrat from California, seemed stunned at the testimony. He had heard of foreign workers being brought in and paid less money than local workers, he said, but not the opposite.
โYou’re telling me that these H-2A employers are paying, specifically white South African workers, more than the local Black workforce? Help me understand because it’s obviously not economic reasons,โ he said to Pinkins.
โThis doesn’t make sense from a business perspective,โ Pinkins said in his response.
โSo, the only common denominator here is race.โ
Pinkins said following the 90-minute hearing, he was glad he was able to make that point at the end.
In addition to Pinkins, three other experts testified: Daniel Costa, an immigration attorney and researcher with the Economic Policy Institute; Teresa Romero the president of the United Farm Workers; and Leon Sequeira, an attorney who works closely with farm owners and served as an assistant secretary of labor under George W. Bush.
Wednesday’s hearing had a back-and-forth partisan rhythm, with a clear divide in perspectives on the programs’ issues and the issues facing the farming workforce at large. Republican representatives repeatedly emphasized their concerns over the number of undocumented workers entering the country.
โPresident Biden‘s border crisis hangs over this hearing,โ said Rep. Fred Keller, a Republican from Pennsylvania. โIt’s a self-made disaster that is endangering millions and creating a humanitarian crisis. We cannot meaningfully discuss reforming the H-2 programs while our border is wide open and being overrun.โ
The H-2A program is designed to fill gaps in the workforce when farmers cannot find enough U.S. workers to fill seasonal jobs.
Democrats on Wednesday were concerned about the findings in โOperation Blooming Onion,โ which a Georgia U.S. district attorney called โmodern-day slavery.โ Investigators say a smuggling ring misused the H-2A program to traffic and abuse more than 200 workers from Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to work on onion farms.
The problems facing local Delta workers may be different, but are stemming from the same visa program. Mississippi Today’s investigation farms often made no effort to bring back Black workers who had worked previous seasons, preferring the white H-2A workers from South Africa.
In the instances in the Delta, it was the local workers โ who are typically Black โ being affected negatively through misuse of the program.
More than 90% of H-2A workers come from Mexico. South Africans make up about 3% of the program, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor.
โThese programs do not reflect their intended purpose,โ said Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat from North Carolina, who chairs the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. โInstead, these programs are a relic of slavery. Together we must reform the H-2 visa programs to ensure that all workers are treated with dignity and respect.โ
Sequeira, who handled policy on Bush’s team, spoke to the majority of farms following the program’s rules. He said many of his clients have gotten wrapped up in audits for minor offenses that over burden them.
Pinkins told Mississippi Today following the hearing that he felt Republican representatives weren’t taking the happenings in the Delta seriously.
Pinkins pointed to Sequeira’s written testimony, which stated that H-2A employees do not harm U.S. workers.
โThey are basically just blind with regards to detrimental effects the H-2A program is having on Black farm workers in the Delta,โ Pinkins told Mississippi Today. โThey were basically saying, โBecause a small percentage are misusing the H-2A program, it’s OK. A place like the Mississippi Delta? We don’t care about that small group of farmers.’โ
He said much of the hearing felt like it was diverting away from the central issues. Still, he’s eager to see what the committee determines.
Rep. Adams ended the hearing by saying she looked forward to working with committee members on future legislation to address worker discrimination and strengthening labor standards.
READ MORE: Here’s how we reported the story of Black farmers losing out on jobs
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Dollar General vehicle theft leads to two arrests in Tupelo
SUMMARY: In Tupelo, Mississippi, 19-year-old Joshua James and a juvenile face charges related to a police pursuit and the theft of a police car. James is charged with Directing a Felony to Be Committed by a Person Under Seventeen, Grand Larceny, and Felony Fleeing, with a bond set at $100,000. The incident began on November 1 when police responded to a report of a stolen vehicle. After a chase that ended when the stolen truck crashed south of Verona, James was apprehended, while his juvenile passenger fled in a police car, which was later found wrecked. The juvenile’s case will be handled in Youth Court.
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The post Dollar General vehicle theft leads to two arrests in Tupelo appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
Lowndes Co. Supervisors talk storm safety for certain areas
SUMMARY: The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors has secured funding to construct storm shelters in Crawford, Artesia, and Plum Grove, areas lacking local shelter during severe weather. Each community will receive four FEMA-funded shelters, accommodating up to 20 people each, on government property at a total cost of $103,692, with FEMA contributing $93,000. The supervisors anticipate these shelters will significantly enhance safety for residents during storms. Vice President Jeff Smith highlighted their importance, expressing relief for community members who have long awaited a secure refuge. While installation timelines remain unclear, the project is expected to proceed soon.
The post Lowndes Co. Supervisors talk storm safety for certain areas appeared first on www.wcbi.com
Mississippi News
News anchor dropped after social media post telling Trump-haters supporting Harris: ‘Stay home, donโt vote’
SUMMARY: David “Dave” Elliott, a local news anchor for WLOX in Biloxi for nearly 40 years, was fired after expressing political views on social media. He revealed on Facebook that his termination was due to his political opinions, specifically mentioning a video where he advised people not to vote out of hatred for Donald Trump. Elliott characterized his social media posts as satire, distinguishing them from his professional work. He noted that the discussion with his station’s general manager about his dismissal was brief, and the topic of social media was raised. WLOX’s management declined to comment on the matter.
The post News anchor dropped after social media post telling Trump-haters supporting Harris: ‘Stay home, don’t vote’ appeared first on www.foxnews.com
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