John Boyd, Jr.

Bio

John W. Boyd Jr. is a fourth generation farmer and a civil rights activist. He was born in Queens, New York on September 4, 1965.

In 1995, Boyd founded the National Black Farmers Association after encountering the US Department of Agriculture's discriminatory practices first-hand and meeting many more black farmers who shared this experience. Boyd soon led NBFA members in a march on the White House. He went on to meet with President Clinton and to testify before Congress. The plight of black farmers had caught the nation's attention, but Boyd's pursuit of justice continues to this day.

Reading Materials

Articles:

• There were nearly a million black farmers in 1920. Why have they disappeared? by Summer Sewell