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hey,

0:37

as seen on radio on john b,

0:39

win our summer, many

0:41

series of rebroadcasts aka

0:44

a broadcasts few my favorite things continues

0:48

this episode we originally posted in twenty

0:50

seventeen it dropped during

0:52

are seeing white season the

0:54

even though it kind of sit right in with that

0:57

series it really was a separate project

0:59

an investigative documentary that i'd worked

1:01

on for year and a half in collaboration

1:04

with the excellent radio show and podcast

1:06

reveal investigator

1:10

we call the episode losing ground

1:12

it's a story of stark institutional

1:15

racism it's

1:17

a love story too the

1:19

ground at the end for an update

1:27

if i ask you to picture and american farmer

1:29

what image close to mind flannel

1:32

, overalls overalls

1:34

are the farmer you're picturing is white

1:37

and with good with more

1:39

than nine out of ten american farmers are

1:41

american today but

1:44

of course in a longer view of things

1:46

black people played a huge role in american

1:48

agriculture the nation's

1:50

economy was built largely on black

1:53

farm labor in bondage

1:55

for hundreds of years followed by a century

1:57

of share cropping and

1:59

that plan at the end of the civil war

2:02

to grant the freed slaves forty

2:04

acres in a mule so they could be self sufficient

2:07

us farmers

2:08

i promise

2:10

don't somehow a century

2:12

ago african american families own

2:14

fifteen million acres one

2:17

seventh of the nation's farmland then

2:20

through the twentieth century black farmers

2:22

lost their land at a much faster

2:25

rate than white farmers and

2:27

are now fewer than one percent of american

2:29

farms

2:32

the for

2:34

etti wise owning a firearm was

2:36

a lifelong dream for

2:39

a black man born in north carolina

2:41

in the nineteen forties it ,

2:43

that easy his father grandfather

2:46

his father grandfather or else

2:49

that he wanted very much to farm just

2:52

those conditions

2:53

the latter a team

2:55

i signed up to go and army i

2:58

will not do work in in the back the field

3:01

and a guy game that of game two days in days row

3:04

the guy being an army recruiters arrays

3:06

both hands in

3:11

the next time on the phone i'm

3:13

going to be one available i'm not working

3:16

on a fall from nobody else

3:19

about thirty years later after a

3:21

military career etti would get

3:23

us out

3:24

the he and his wife dorothy say that

3:26

over a twenty five year period the

3:29

us agriculture department discriminated

3:31

against them repeatedly because of their race

3:35

and finally drove them off their land

3:38

so what's

3:41

, day to day today is this

3:43

was uttered up

3:45

like is twice as

3:49

a half the day is

3:51

january twentieth wednesday

3:54

january twentieth twenty six as mooney

3:57

eight forty am

3:58

the just arrived at etti

3:59

his farm it's a small one

4:02

hundred and six acre hog operation unrolling

4:04

land near rocky mount north carolina

4:07

the driveway bands around a grove of trees

4:10

leading to the mobile home where etti lives with

4:12

his wife dorothy the

4:14

driven out this morning because etti called and

4:16

said something was about to go down i

4:19

just turned on my record or we're talking

4:21

when one of eddie's dogs interrupts

4:24

announcing the arrival of the expected guests

4:28

list , on it does what what

4:30

here they come around that curb weight

4:33

as see these and squad cars seven

4:35

vehicles and vehicles officers

4:38

spill out i killed fourteen

4:40

men and women mostly us marshals

4:42

for the he's county deputies he's backup

4:45

some of the marshals carry semiautomatic

4:47

rifles older models

4:51

on as a model

4:53

zone by the us marshal a leader

4:55

of the operation approaches etti and

4:58

presents the papers difficulty with

5:00

papers marshal service you dogs and also known as

5:03

i service you have come just as forces

5:05

there's as foreclosure judgment but as you get you had a seizure

5:07

or so when after a movie for

5:09

your as as this morning and are certain items will be taken

5:12

my wife is it was

5:15

enough to for work would you give you an original mana times

5:17

you organise is your wife and as they get francis

5:19

is one such as ,

5:22

there's i as organ be seizing get

5:24

your property is a full such severe discuss

5:26

for i the

5:29

take the document and studies it he

5:31

, around face and farmers thick hands

5:34

hands still a formidable presence and seventy

5:36

two years old put all your what your

5:39

or what was your what sovereign from my

5:41

i was my from were

5:44

in every as were stress

5:46

enough that he was told the marshals

5:48

will be coming to sees his farm equipment because

5:50

he hadn't made payments on his government loan

5:53

your in that he says he didn't know he and dorothy

5:55

would be victims today saw

5:58

supposes take my wife

5:59

and is warhol is or on

6:02

forces that says the order from the court you

6:05

have any weapons now sir of ,

6:07

our with the how to someone for i understand

6:09

as a shitty place at this is

6:13

i'm a retired remember hodgson as well

6:15

remember and i present your service

6:19

we walk away or the wanna be with it

6:21

would make your servings finality get

6:24

your wife we're not going to interfere as you can you wife and he means

6:27

would , new york and it was in the past

6:29

on dealing with us the a officials

6:32

and he's been known to get angry and threatened

6:34

violence this day

6:36

he's calm and polite but until

6:38

that time we have to performance was

6:42

this

6:47

i will major from the

6:50

armed marshals follow any into his mobile

6:57

marshall securities weapons for

6:59

those vr rifle rather the first order

7:02

game orgasm house son

7:06

, man don't don't them get

7:09

etti wakes dorothy or was he has diabetes

7:11

and can't walk well once

7:13

he stressed etti will have to help her to the car

7:17

an hour later evicted from their farm

7:19

and home of twenty years they

7:21

sit in their car and church parking lot across

7:24

the road eddie's in front

7:26

seat sources in fact

7:36

you son of and

7:40

though the i sat ,

7:44

around those wounded

7:47

dorothy what she's thinking and feeling

7:50

rosehill , some to school

7:53

in love with with

7:56

the same and what

7:58

was happening

8:01

i don't approve of it says

8:05

, do with this point as

8:08

we sit in the quiet of the car and talk

8:10

car truck pulling a stock trailer pulls

8:12

out of the farm road maybe fifty yards

8:15

from us and drives away

8:17

carrying away dozens of hawks there

8:20

goes the pigs

8:22

there goes that time

8:26

that night the couple would find a room

8:28

at a low cost motel

8:34

i met a wise is almost ten years ago

8:36

i was working on a documentary about family

8:38

farmers visited their place

8:41

a bunch of times recording as they went

8:43

about their days and as etti worked

8:45

with their small heard of two hundred and fifty hawks

8:56

that dorothy in the fine where

8:59

, you you

9:02

can tell that isn't a month scolding

9:04

voice to live up to his last

9:06

name be wise

9:11

well as a good movie was saying

9:13

that idea was in

9:15

, foxy lady walking on how we're

9:17

how university university got to know to

9:20

and lado made her lado was

9:24

a couple met in nineteen eighty eight in

9:26

washington dc the army sent

9:28

dc now universities houses

9:30

in me motor says former our

9:33

mobile operations repelling zapping

9:36

former south seas operations repelling

9:39

for cause i'm as she says

9:42

the spurs law told me that the man to come in

9:44

my life me being evidence isa of

9:46

one farm obama sought

9:49

of us are you kidding me he told

9:51

me he was going

9:53

through some and i said known industry

9:55

be some foods oh mama way

9:57

home and okay relies on farm and

10:00

i said i'm going to was no carolina pick blueberries

10:02

as we get sunset says

10:05

, me get my head so i got my hat

10:07

said it along along we go

10:10

down there and kick blueberries all

10:12

day long and

10:15

i mean it's been a roll over senses and

10:17

we married for six days so

10:24

life to me

10:26

can be very enjoyable

10:29

you have the matter

10:31

with you

10:32

you calculate can communicate with

10:35

and you enjoy them and they in the

10:37

you

10:38

and you will help them no matter what you have to do

10:44

but in twenty sixteen the us

10:46

government would take the wise is farm

10:50

and run them off

11:00

the report twenty years ago during

11:02

the clinton administration the

11:04

, agriculture department called itself

11:07

quote a contributing factor

11:09

contributing the dramatic decline of blacks

11:13

a landmark class action lawsuit

11:15

filed by black farmers against the u s

11:17

da known as the pig for case

11:20

named , a north carolina farmer named

11:22

timothy pigford pigford settled

11:24

in nineteen ninety nineteen a

11:26

court found the farmers had been systematically

11:29

denied aids solely because they were

11:31

blessed loans france

11:33

and subsidies good white farmers

11:35

received as a result the government

11:37

paid black farmers a total of more than

11:39

two billion dollars in one

11:41

pay out at the end of the nineties and

11:44

another under president obama in twenty

11:46

president president simply a

11:48

, of making amends it's

11:51

about reaffirming our values

11:53

on it's this nation was founded

11:56

principles of fairness and equality

11:59

and opportunity

12:00

the question is did the u s de a

12:03

six the problem that

12:05

he and dorothy wise say government officials

12:07

discriminated against them both

12:09

before and after the black

12:11

farmers

12:19

your the and etti wise found disarm they

12:21

wanted in north carolina in nineteen

12:23

ninety one almost no

12:25

one buys a farm without alone and certainly

12:27

the wisest could not that

12:30

meant dealing with us agriculture department

12:32

and it's landing arm than called the

12:34

farmers home administration or

12:36

f ha the good of on it

12:39

had on written system

12:42

if he walked in efforts a new blessed

12:45

the , thing they did was close

12:47

the books and he said

12:49

no to anything the to s

12:51

and at porno this and didn't have applications

12:55

if you got application they

12:57

won't tell ya to fill it up and

13:00

then when you finally got through a lot

13:02

turn into didn't hit his poops

13:05

were money

13:09

why you say all those things and more

13:12

happened to them the ,

13:14

officer in their county office stonewalled

13:16

them at every turn they say from

13:18

the time they walked into his office and ninety ninety

13:21

one until their loan was finally

13:23

approved in nineteen ninety six six

13:26

loan officer sydney long as now retired

13:29

i reached months i'm

13:31

not interested months i'm about that at all he

13:33

told me do that in it comes

13:35

back to buy the

13:38

u s t a and washington decline to answer

13:40

questions about the wisest case because

13:42

door as he and etti have a lawsuit pending

13:44

against the department

13:47

there's someone else who was in a position to

13:49

know about the wisest relationship with

13:51

the us da karl

13:53

benz lives on his family's one hundred and forty

13:55

acre farm on the edge of windsor north

13:57

carolina

13:59

they operation is up the

14:02

main road when i used to

14:04

way above my mom and my dad as disease

14:07

on bond retired and twenty eleven

14:09

months after thirty two year career with

14:11

us to a north carolina

14:14

back in the nineteen nineties when the wise as

14:16

were struggling to get their application process

14:19

daddy heard about bond and reached out

14:21

to him

14:22

the was the only african american loan

14:24

officer in the states i came

14:26

to off as he said would

14:29

, sismi the zap case

14:31

unless it was yes i said

14:33

when did you as a long

14:35

off says it's you gotta from his age as

14:37

we as some he said you know we

14:40

you are a retired

14:42

officer from the united states army yobs

14:45

baby do

14:46

is that a normal thing for loan officer to

14:48

say to decline to help a farmer

14:51

looking for alone no way

14:53

was required and still is acquire

14:56

status of farm in an assistant to have

14:58

them sellouts iphone

15:00

the answers he'd heard plenty about sydney

15:02

long the wisest white loan officer

15:05

from the black farmers he talked to

15:07

then came from

15:09

the good ole boys

15:11

back in a day while loan officers

15:14

will owe money to people

15:16

a known as so we need some money and

15:19

, when we as

15:21

rak swimming to as they were so where are

15:23

the money is bar i wondered was

15:25

sydney long just being on generous

15:27

in refusing to help the wisest with their loan

15:29

application or was he violating

15:32

regulations

15:34

called the sky my name is steven carpenter

15:37

i'm a lawyer at farmers legal

15:39

action group a ,

15:41

profits a law firm in minnesota

15:43

that works on behalf of family farmers

15:46

carpenter says the requirement carl bond

15:48

referred to that loan officers help

15:50

applicants with their farms is

15:52

based in law passed by congress

15:55

carpenter reads from an agency handbook

15:58

from the time we're talking about us

15:59

the officials should provide information

16:02

about all services

16:04

to all people who asked that

16:07

they are to explain all types

16:09

of programs and ,

16:11

most importantly in

16:14

the middle nineties their own regulation

16:16

says that us to officials will give

16:18

whatever assistance give

16:21

whatever to complete the

16:23

application

16:24

the the wisest filled out the form with help

16:26

from carl bond

16:28

but now they're loan officer sydney long

16:30

told them their credit was for the

16:33

was his appeal to the national us

16:35

d a office and one the

16:38

time the f ha had become the fs

16:40

say the farm service agency

16:43

why does told the state director and appointee

16:46

of the clinton administration about what was

16:48

happening with sydney long the

16:50

state director intervened and approved

16:52

the wisest purchase of the land i

16:54

took us five years get it will

16:58

, natoma y va seven god bless

17:00

america has gotten to the wisest

17:02

troubles with the u s de a were far

17:04

from over they bought

17:07

the land but like most farmers they

17:09

also needed an operating loan to get up

17:11

and running the hog buildings

17:13

on the farm needed work you roofs

17:15

and a kind of heavy duty curtain on the sides

17:17

to block the winter wind there

17:20

one hundred and seventy thousand dollar operating

17:22

loan was approved in nineteen ninety seven

17:24

that money was supposed to be released

17:26

within weeks counting on that

17:29

the wisest scheduled the building repairs

17:31

for later in the spring they put

17:33

down money and dozens of breeding hogs

17:35

and made plans to pick them up after

17:37

their buildings were renovated that

17:40

he says sydney long the loan officer

17:43

delayed the release of the wise is operating

17:45

law he drugged alone process

17:47

out of seven day or months that

17:49

he had to call off the repairs that

17:52

he had already committed to picking up his hawks

17:54

so by the time

17:56

we got rid of bring home in september

17:58

however zoe

17:59

the

18:01

and i another bullet open

18:03

building the number concrete floors

18:07

there were no

18:09

and i had that some goals

18:12

a plastic in your dad put

18:14

it makes of kids a break the when from blowing

18:16

in the winter , in

18:18

north carolina often dip below

18:20

freezing newborn p comes out

18:22

at nine degrees degrees he the

18:24

concrete the and you talking

18:26

about about for five months before his

18:28

d allows ,

18:31

over four hundred pigs free soda the

18:35

wisest the loss of almost their entire

18:37

heard was catastrophic he

18:39

put them in a whole they never dug out of

18:43

why the delay in releasing their operating

18:45

low they say sydney long

18:47

told him there was no money in the loan son

18:50

there are a bond the african american loan

18:52

officer who helped the was is still out

18:54

there application finds ,

18:56

puzzling avail ourselves

18:59

almonds is sosa disadvantages along

19:01

fine so that's a fun for certain

19:03

kinds of farmers including african

19:06

americans and women there was plenty

19:08

of sources his own money available

19:10

then tell tell along i

19:12

have for my for solstice

19:15

events classmates winning

19:17

out classmates it i requested internal

19:20

us the a documents on the socially

19:22

disadvantaged farmer fund through

19:24

the freedom of information act the

19:26

documents backup karl benz memory

19:30

in ninety ninety seven the year the wise

19:32

is applied the fund ended the year

19:34

with more than two hundred million dollars

19:36

on spent

19:39

i ninety ninety eight the wise as had secured

19:41

their farm and they eventually got their hard

19:43

sheds improved but they had

19:46

almost no hogs they

19:48

had to try building a heard again

19:50

from scratch and make their

19:52

loan payments that

19:54

he says he land and complained to the ever say

19:56

director about sitting on so

19:59

he say it all

19:59

com i can do

20:02

the obama

20:03

i want him here any super that the

20:06

by with ms was carbon black

20:08

as a good so

20:11

call came

20:12

that's how carl band came to take over

20:15

as the wise as loan officer even

20:17

though bond was assigned other counties in

20:19

his office was fifty miles away it

20:22

was an extraordinary move by the f essay

20:25

bond sums up the situation that

20:27

etti found himself in after

20:29

most of his hogs froze to death in the winter

20:32

of ninety ninety seven ninety eight he

20:34

was behind a volume a got

20:36

worse worse as as is

20:38

how went on are so that's

20:40

why they move to me and

20:42

i had to the and service alone bond

20:45

extended the terms on the wise as loans

20:47

and loud them the make small payments on their

20:50

interest image they could manage

20:52

while they gradually built back there heard

20:55

kept them on the farm for more than a decade

21:00

or , cold sunday that that

21:03

they free when

21:05

i visited a wise as in the winter of two

21:07

thousand of nine etti was about

21:10

to take a truckload of hogs to slaughter

21:12

was this lauderdale be processed

21:15

into for shop sauces into

21:17

met bow a sales

21:19

figures out all

21:22

the above

21:28

when i'm gonna pay has

21:31

, potential dollars dollars

21:34

i smell of hate both that month is

21:37

the business

21:43

the hog operation wasn't bringing in a lot

21:45

of money my income right now

21:48

the between a wife and i

21:51

that are now the nine

21:54

farm income that income came

21:56

from eddie's army pension dorothy's

21:59

retirement howard university and

22:01

, to social security checks and

22:03

if it that l nausea not farm

22:05

income income us they

22:08

own they cause

22:10

we're pulling down we're about fifteen

22:13

, thousand dollars fifteen year

22:15

on both feet a runner

22:18

whole operation like with this type

22:21

the farm was alive

22:23

etti and dorothy had the life they wanted

22:26

one of the few remaining black american

22:28

farm families

22:30

etti dream that some day he'd pass

22:32

the harm onto his son in

22:36

, farmyard etti calls his three

22:38

dogs still still

22:40

since they were puffs as puffs as

22:44

down there cross wrote

22:46

on layers look was

22:48

dressing small as one best seller

22:51

brown g it is the mail

22:53

slot as assistant this it this the

22:55

bugs

22:57

many logic

23:04

etti still had

23:06

those dogs and twenty six t the

23:09

us marshals took them away even

23:12

though they were pats not farm animals

23:15

the marshals told the wise as they took they

23:17

dogs to the pound they

23:19

were given to three different families

23:44

you may be wondering couldn't the wisest

23:46

have benefited from pigford that

23:48

class action legal settlement with you

23:50

sta the ,

23:52

is probably thirteen

23:55

thousand black families received one

23:57

time fifty thousand dollar payments

23:59

from that the annulment but

24:01

, says loan officers obstructions

24:04

cost his farm a lot more than that

24:06

we were ago take this about not because

24:08

it down double norman norman option

24:11

under pigford allowed farmers to sue

24:13

for more money if they could prove discrimination

24:15

more discrimination but for that

24:18

the wisest would have had to hire had lawyer

24:20

and show that their local f i say office

24:23

had treated white farmers better as

24:25

you have the as the names of as sun woo of

24:28

didn't know how they tried

24:30

suing on their own but again they needed to

24:32

prove this similarly situated

24:34

white farmers were treated better

24:37

couldn't and the case was dismissed the

24:40

wise is moved us i was

24:42

discussed train them trying

24:44

to manage to form

24:52

during the dozen years he managed their loan

24:55

carl bond help the wise as refinance

24:57

several times

24:59

this isn't unusual

25:00

or offers lot of farmers with ever say

25:02

loans are unable to make their complete

25:04

payments at times because of a bad

25:07

growing season or low prices

25:10

the ever say usually works with those farmers

25:12

as they can make a good case they'll be profitable

25:14

the next year because

25:16

they were just paying interest the wisest debt

25:19

grew from the original three hundred thousand

25:21

plus to more than four hundred thousand by

25:23

twenty ten that

25:25

he was gradually buying and breeding more

25:27

hogs the answers

25:29

there was reason for hope

25:31

and his bosses approved his approach

25:33

they reviewed everything that idea on

25:35

a wise as a house senate up

25:38

to our to rally day

25:40

, also when a fan to phone and

25:42

in there was sent the , we

25:44

find you get a sense correct and

25:46

then everything was good

25:49

the there were signs that higher ups in

25:51

the north carolina ever say we're

25:53

taking a harder look at the wise as and

25:56

their loan

25:57

the answers one day in the fall of twenty ten

25:59

his boss the district director got

26:02

a call from the state office in raleigh asking

26:04

to see the farm plan that bond

26:06

and the wise as we're working on average

26:09

viewer it became bragging served on

26:11

will obey the number hard that we

26:13

see on his policy is correct song

26:18

that's when the state director said okay

26:20

let's go to have found this

26:22

just to make this clear

26:24

it was a thirty year veteran loan

26:26

officer and manager for

26:28

some reason

26:30

the superiors asked to examine a farm

26:32

plan that wasn't completed yes that

26:34

was unusual i think they wouldn't

26:37

trust in my socks they

26:39

chanted they dems me

26:41

remember this is twenty ten a decade

26:43

after pigford the discrimination lawsuits

26:46

that the government's saddled with black farmers

26:49

but even then bond says he often felt

26:51

his work was questioned more than that of

26:53

white officers that scrutiny

26:55

was compounded in the case of etti wise

26:58

you have a blog loan officer

27:00

this sort of like former

27:02

they might behave going to mess with his first

27:05

and last at the end of the i was i

27:07

was on arab allies add to their bad side

27:10

when etti wise heard that draft plan

27:12

was being questioned he was suspicious

27:15

and angry he studied

27:17

the manuals he knew a farm

27:19

plan wasn't supposed to be passed up the chain

27:21

of command for review until

27:23

the farmer had signed off on it he

27:26

wanted to know what was going on

27:28

then carl band called again

27:31

read the state director

27:33

want to do a farmer's asset sale

27:36

year bring his wife is out

27:38

here amo get some answers today

27:40

and so they roller

27:43

the dry was in , by

27:45

the powers are on caused or inducing

27:47

inducing a who initial coma

27:50

incomplete farm plan to the state the so

27:52

costs who was backed up he said ah

27:55

or demas was se why he

27:57

said because my hospital me to bring

28:00

like husky was the farm loan chief

28:02

for the whole state etti and

28:05

carl believe husky arranged this visit

28:07

after looking at the farm plants why

28:10

in , draft the wiser said they had fourteen

28:13

sounds breeding females females

28:16

most of their heard froze to death and ninety

28:18

ninety eight and a government hadn't blown

28:20

them any more money since money so

28:23

etti says a dozen years later mike husky

28:25

apparently didn't believe he could have that could

28:28

south he sent carl's

28:30

supervisor to check and the state

28:32

director and carl tagged along so

28:35

carl it any i'm in a sales

28:37

do you have as i don't know call list

28:39

count on these nine and here and

28:42

one nine and eighteen takes

28:44

so we hundred to the second building and

28:47

is now to also as a winner is

28:50

we go to the first building and

28:53

here's ten more so than

28:55

it is twenty eight south omaha play

28:57

and i was only missing forty

29:00

etti dad just fourteen the last time

29:02

bond visited the farm so that's

29:04

the number he put down in the draft plan

29:07

then sen etti had bought

29:09

and raised fourteen more they're so

29:11

when erected solders hogs you

29:13

start apologizing islam as was

29:15

ah i was told wrong information the

29:18

davenport the district director didn't

29:20

return my phone calls the

29:22

state director at the time was aaron martin

29:25

and obama appointee the

29:27

retired at the end of twenty eleven martin

29:30

tells me he remembers the visit daddy's place

29:33

it doesn't remember anyone questioning

29:35

the accuracy of the from plan he

29:37

had hogs they are we saw the hobbes but

29:40

are doing know my slants was the adult

29:42

pearl was doing a good job he was following

29:45

the procedures lot i wanted him to

29:48

we were not for clothes and only any

29:50

time

29:51

after the ever say officials found everything

29:54

in order on the farm carl

29:56

bond turned in the wisest plan

29:58

for twenty eleven he completed farmland

30:00

in a then were estimated

30:03

state rex sign off on a of them so thing was

30:05

fun

30:06

we thought

30:13

a few months after karl benz retirement

30:16

etti was called the farm service agency

30:18

to ask who his new loan officer would

30:21

be he , told paula

30:23

nickels nickels has worked with

30:25

the fs a since nineteen eighty four

30:27

were coming up home town redo

30:30

the phone the so

30:32

i go in and go her that

30:35

i'm here to get assistance and

30:37

do get my father says

30:39

he looks images as says don't realm of meaning

30:42

, don't help you find this reminded

30:45

the wise as of the nineteen nineties and

30:47

their first loan officer who said and

30:49

to them at every turn etti

30:51

did what he done back then he went

30:53

to what carl bond and ask for help

30:56

together they structured the plan much as they

30:58

done for many years they put

31:00

in production numbers that showed that slight positive

31:03

cash flow

31:07

what happened next is revealed

31:09

in a series of internal ever say documents

31:16

while i was working on this story over the

31:18

past year etti and dorothy wise

31:20

requested their own file from the foreign

31:22

service agency in north carolina

31:27

the epa say make copies and

31:29

gave the wisest a stack of papers

31:31

several inches thick including

31:33

, documents they've never seen i

31:36

met up with etti as karl benz farm

31:39

the three of us looked over the files that

31:42

, this these theories to to

31:44

documents right these to see dollars

31:46

reports or him etti and car

31:48

were surprised to find a printout showing

31:51

that the farm plan they submitted in the spring

31:53

of twenty twelve was put through the fsh

31:56

loan making computer program it

31:58

called it's me dollars

31:59

their loan was in dorothy's name

32:02

or get a ran that you dollars on

32:05

fab twenty four and it says if

32:08

suffocation and the

32:10

authorization i hereby certify

32:12

that dot the m last the

32:15

me requirement of the is

32:17

ever say regulations and is

32:19

eligible for primary long served

32:21

snacks

32:22

that is the computer program approved

32:24

a plan the why you say

32:27

their loan officer paul nicholls never

32:29

told them that instead

32:31

the same day that print out was done

32:33

the wisest had a meeting with nichols and her

32:35

office he told them

32:37

they were being denied loan servicing flexible

32:40

terms they'd had with bond that allowed them

32:42

to pay what they could at the end of the year now

32:45

nichols told them they'd have to start paying

32:47

thirty one hundred dollars a month that

32:50

would have taken the bulk of their total income

32:53

making it impossible to see their hogs

32:55

and pay their other bills they

32:58

, up and left at told my

33:00

wife us and russian galaxy

33:02

so much much an actor you wanna

33:04

get outside the womb got outside

33:07

her office as outside her line

33:10

these ballet regulation and

33:12

i'm not will argue with osama

33:15

do get pissed off and get arrested also

33:18

in the file there's another computer analysis

33:20

or can this phone was

33:23

, six seven to twenty two

33:25

a of that's two weeks after the first

33:27

print out and that meeting meeting

33:29

new report showed a different result

33:32

mary says dorothy

33:34

and was does not meet the

33:36

requirement of ever say regulation

33:38

it's nyazov for primer size

33:41

with action

33:43

though how did people in the f as say office

33:45

get from an approved farm plan to

33:48

on the got rejected first

33:50

a little background bond ,

33:53

that a hog producers annual farm plan

33:55

for a nasa say loan amounts

33:57

to a fairly simple calculation this

34:00

nice house will produce x number of pig

34:02

that they'll be said and slaughtered

34:04

and sold bringing sold bringing many

34:06

dollars

34:07

against the estimated expenses you

34:09

have to say your documentation

34:11

of what use doors are you come up with

34:14

those figures

34:15

the farmers production history is key

34:17

and deciding the numbers to plug in the

34:20

plan the wisest turned and said their sales

34:22

would produce an average of ten piglets

34:25

in fact bond says etti had a track

34:27

record of producing more than that almost

34:29

twelve pigs purcell they

34:32

put down can the state average

34:34

joe's so was be on the say sad

34:36

wouldn't have to be course the ,

34:38

of paper we're looking at now may be

34:41

the most telling them all all

34:43

a photocopy of bombs hand written

34:45

calculations that the wisest

34:47

turned in with their farm plan markopolos

34:50

will reduce six on of would of a

34:52

was say give or take the may lose out and

34:54

ten own say where five hundred thirty

34:56

paces and thirty market bond

34:58

point out that someone made additions on

35:01

the page where he'd written that

35:03

the wisest house would produce ten

35:05

house per litre so handwritten

35:08

onto your litre a yes

35:13

lowering the number of pigs per litre

35:16

from ten to eight cut eddie's

35:18

production by more than one hundred piglets

35:20

for the year thus , shortfall

35:22

and projected income income

35:25

carpenter of the farmers legal action group

35:27

says lowering of farmers production numbers

35:30

is a violation of us the a

35:32

rules if somebody

35:34

has historically been had

35:37

twelve and a house pigs purse

35:39

hour per hour that's

35:41

what should be used in the used flow karl

35:45

benz is paula nichols also violated

35:47

procedures by simply replacing

35:50

the wise as version of their plan version

35:52

her own and not sitting

35:54

down with them to explain it to

35:56

send procedures and once you may contain

35:59

is

35:59

with uniforms with you have

36:02

to me with the bar to explain to use

36:04

it signed to the bar at our cat customer

36:06

deaths occur and the him a business plan

36:08

is different yours this

36:10

is what ideas this is what i saw can

36:13

we come together to an agreement on

36:15

on my plan all can we

36:17

put together a medium dad you

36:19

be have a weird i can be happily for that never

36:21

happened

36:25

all and nicholls is now the fsh farm

36:27

loan chief for north carolina i

36:30

reached her at her office in raleigh he

36:33

said she couldn't comment because otherwise is

36:35

legal action against the agency carbon

36:38

, it's very unlikely that paul nicholls

36:41

made the decision all by herself to get

36:43

tougher on the wisest wisest says

36:45

any loan officer making such an important

36:47

decision to put a farmer on the road

36:49

to foreclosure we talked

36:51

to the boss first are very much

36:53

came from came state offers from their bedtime save

36:56

with some my roster

36:58

mike husky the same man who

37:00

etti wise believes instigated

37:02

that surprised farm visit farm year and year

37:04

half earlier to see if etti and

37:06

car were telling the truth on their farm plan

37:10

he was paul nicholls direct supervisor

37:12

at the time map was just very strict

37:15

about did that

37:17

air and martin the former ever say state

37:20

director and mike huskies boss

37:22

until martin retired at the end of twenty

37:24

eleven birds , he

37:26

and husky had different philosophies philosophies

37:29

appreciated loan officers like karl bond

37:31

he says who use their discretion

37:34

to help the farmer whenever possible

37:36

he says husky was less forgiving and

37:40

i'm thinking felt like he was serving

37:42

the damn oil and protect and the

37:44

government's interest government's interest this day

37:46

it and it must be repaid

37:53

martin says he doesn't believe husky treated

37:55

farmers differently based on their race

37:57

he was strict with everyone

38:00

but then martin tells a story about a time

38:02

when he found huskies judgment especially

38:04

troubling it was around twenty

38:06

eleven he says farm

38:08

couple discovered that there ever say loan

38:10

officer had failed to file documents

38:13

at the county office for conservation

38:15

easement it was the loan officers

38:17

responsibility and his failure

38:19

to follow through was going to cost the farm

38:22

couple thousands of dollars a month

38:24

to me that there was no cinematic

38:26

do that if they wanted to contest

38:28

it they would have to hire a lawyer

38:31

will have just was not have any of that

38:33

the it was not

38:35

therefore it was the agency's

38:37

fault foreign says he overruled

38:39

husky and the fs a covered the cost

38:42

of it's mistake this

38:44

husky would have left it to the farmers to

38:46

solve the problem i'm just couldn't believe

38:48

it only after hearing the whole

38:50

story it occurred to me to ask

38:53

those farmers white or black they

38:55

were monarchy own farmers

38:58

african americans

39:04

husky retired at the beginning of twenty

39:06

seventeen i went to see

39:08

him at his home and the rural outskirts

39:10

of raleigh

39:12

hi i'm so is this mr huskies

39:14

just i'm sorry to bother you at home or

39:17

but i couldn't find a phone number for you my

39:19

name's john be when i'm a reporter

39:22

and through

39:25

, closed glass door he says i'm

39:27

not talking to you i'm working on a story about

39:30

area which emotional okay husky

39:33

says he knows what i'm working on working

39:35

would be remiss if remiss didn't give

39:37

you a chance to respond

39:42

why why not i

39:45

can't he said

39:51

in a brief written statement the only

39:54

response to our questions about the wise case

39:57

the us to a said it restructure the was

39:59

is dead for the times between nineteen

40:01

ninety eight and twenty ten that's

40:03

during the time carl bond was managing alone

40:06

the statement says the wise is paid a total

40:08

of only eight thousand dollars over the life

40:11

of their loans owed five hundred

40:13

and ninety one thousand when their farm was seized

40:16

some of that of that interested accrued

40:18

after the wisest stopped making payments

40:20

and twenty eleven when you're working

40:23

with a farmer when do you decide

40:25

when do you know or right

40:27

times are adequate ,

40:29

to to pull the plug we can't we can't

40:32

continue tomorrow bond concedes that

40:34

by twenty twelve after he'd retired

40:37

it may have been reasonable for after say

40:39

officials to decide that etti and

40:41

dorothy wise had run out time normally

40:44

when i had when i a new job

40:47

to the end of his robes we

40:49

were dot everything and we

40:52

can okay this , the last

40:54

time we can do a i served

40:56

national you are

40:58

you going further further in there there

41:01

two wanna do you go deeper

41:03

in debt are you can cut

41:05

your losses in there and and get out

41:08

i like obama made the decision that

41:10

saved all

41:12

, nichols simply told the wise as

41:14

they would have to start paying much more on their

41:16

loan they refused

41:19

and defaulted

41:23

that point been says the rules

41:25

governing u s de a loans say nichols

41:27

should have offered the wisest what's known

41:30

as homestead protection famous

41:32

was given the opportunity to keep

41:34

his house and , to make the

41:36

land around is hop for

41:38

his say which was the been

41:40

at pawn in front of his lan about

41:42

five acres or had a house

41:44

where he could have are gone when

41:47

he would never offer damn

41:49

and he is supposed to be offered

41:51

the da's was the offer that

41:53

instead the government took all the land

41:55

in january twenty six t if

42:01

the u s de a discriminated against

42:03

the wisest is it an isolated

42:06

incidents part of a continuing

42:08

problem shockingly

42:11

it depends on the last think

42:14

we're , ready ,

42:17

my name is gary grant and i'm president

42:19

of the black farmers and agriculturalists association

42:22

and mid april twenty six close gary grad

42:24

held a press conference in front of the farm services

42:27

and see offices in raleigh to

42:29

call attention to the eviction to

42:31

it's just a otherwise reporters

42:33

tended grabbed and other

42:35

black farmer advocates say even though

42:38

the u s de a admitted widespread

42:40

discrimination when it's settled the pigford

42:42

law suit settled nineteen ninety nine he

42:44

did not hold any employees account

42:47

of i never have understood

42:49

why people did not become

42:51

outraged when the

42:53

government settled with black farmers

42:55

and nineteen ninety with black not

42:57

one agents last

43:00

attack actually

43:02

they got promoted not

43:04

one said are all employees

43:10

we asked to us the a have any one was

43:12

ever fired after the findings in the pigford

43:14

settlement they didn't answer

43:16

that question or any other that we put

43:18

to them the i went to

43:20

the guy who was at the top during much of this

43:22

time i set up an interview

43:25

with tom vilsack secretary

43:27

of agriculture during president obama to

43:29

terms

43:31

that he didn't know about the wise case

43:33

and couldn't comment on it directly

43:35

that he says if paul nicholls or someone

43:37

else in the f essay office manipulated

43:40

etti wise as production numbers

43:42

that's a violation of agency rules

43:45

if there was no justification and no reason

43:47

to change the number from

43:49

, eight that certainly is

43:51

up up a something it sounds unusual

43:53

and certainly the something that wouldn't and

43:56

mike my view and as smell test

43:58

if that's in fact what happened

43:59

the fact told me because of the department's

44:02

history of discrimination he ordered

44:04

training at county offices and

44:06

titan procedures

44:08

making sure farmers who came in asking

44:10

for services were given a receipt

44:12

so they could prove they asked for help when

44:14

filing complaints and

44:16

, received a monthly report

44:18

from the department's office of civil rights

44:21

and what i can tell use that term we saw

44:23

a a ,

44:26

in the number of program complaints as

44:28

you please would be people coming in and saying that they weren't being

44:30

they fairly so we

44:32

did see progress that is not to say

44:34

that not situation say

44:37

for whatever reason something goes

44:40

and goes awry because you're doing with ninety

44:42

thousand employees money to understand please

44:50

hello see why

44:52

etti son is also named edward

44:55

wise but the family calls him rush

44:58

i went to see him at his home in a quiet

45:00

semi rural part of prince george's

45:02

county maryland scrawny

45:04

, a career police officer in washington

45:06

d c c

45:08

built like his father and shares

45:11

his dad's love growing love the

45:13

garden is is behind this behind his shit

45:15

and what i have a place where the front of

45:18

the race be as we do back back behind body

45:20

back it been back is like

45:22

being back is close enough to on his aggregate

45:24

without being in aggregate carol carolina and

45:27

ronnie recently turned sixty two that

45:29

an age that would have allowed him to retire

45:31

with full benefit of my goal was

45:33

goal fifty as you sorted

45:36

back back home to sis my

45:38

father would be father fun

45:39

via always talked about

45:41

been passed down some because

45:44

his peers know gave him anything

45:46

they have there was nothing to pass the pass on said

45:49

, was months my heart's desire desire

45:52

they haven't tried to get back not go not it

45:54

was like my mom begged disease mom

45:57

, is born the

45:59

as it'll go back to

46:03

the last moved to whole thrust my

46:05

life when

46:07

a baseball movements

46:11

that was a done deal but

46:14

i came pass came moon doomed to go mistaken

46:17

how to do

46:20

the already will take about

46:34

that he is now at his sister's house

46:36

and williams done the little town he grew

46:38

up in in eastern north carolina why

46:42

you didn't want to impose on family after

46:44

getting evicted so they stayed

46:46

in that little motel for eight months until

46:49

finally eddie's relatives insisted

46:51

my sister emma brother

46:55

in september evicted me from

46:57

the hotel i was his is

47:00

etti and i go to see dorothy

47:04

welcome to the bryan said she said

47:07

a rehab center in the nearby towns answer

47:09

that last fall her diabetes got

47:12

worse and doctors had doctors amputate

47:14

both of her legs above the nice

47:22

live in an again dorothy's

47:24

lying on her bed her eyes

47:26

stay close most of the time but

47:29

she does respond etti he

47:31

visits almost every day and

47:34

, oatmeal raisin cookies and

47:36

a special drink for diabetics really

47:38

have anything anything

47:41

humidity chino will could fall

47:48

it meant a lot there's

47:50

, along with his lot has happened to

47:52

us the survey

47:55

the situation and

47:57

put things in place

47:59

the key to happiness first am

48:03

, dying in vain do is on the matter have

48:06

and my monday monday

48:08

not is a

48:11

bomb miss a day or so day

48:13

sure she asserted

48:15

oh so glad asserted spend way

48:19

as a on the of it will

48:21

receive on seen

48:23

know as me

48:42

given the history of black people on america's

48:45

farms and plantations building

48:48

the country's wealth for little for no reward

48:51

isn't there a special cruel irony

48:54

a branch of the us government is

48:56

seemingly going out of its way to dr

48:59

sam

49:13

again

49:16

kane dorothy ,

49:19

the following year since

49:23

eddy has also since passed

49:25

his obituary from june twenty twenty

49:27

one refers to

49:30

their relationship it's as he

49:32

was preceded and death by his browns

49:35

dorothy jeanette wise

49:38

as for black farmers in america

49:41

congress , the biden administration approved

49:43

four billion dollars in debt relief

49:46

aimed specifically at black farmers

49:48

as part of the twenty twenty one cozad

49:50

recovery package the money

49:52

was supposed to make up for some of the inequity

49:54

black farmers faced source tree

49:58

that white farm the in

50:00

several states sued claiming

50:03

reverse discrimination a

50:06

judge put the program on hold until

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the lawsuit is settled the

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, farmers the have survived on the land

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this long continue

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to wait for justice

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this episode was a collaboration between

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seen on radio and reveal it was

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reported and produced by me john be

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when script editor was reveals

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deb george two ,

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nine documentary project that first introduced

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me to the wisest was five arms

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arms , studies on a bunch

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of public radio stations stir

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west corner executive producer

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corner that reveals

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sound design team is jim briggs

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team claire mullen help from

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catherine raimondo original

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music and mixing on this show by

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rom teen arab loose additional

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music by james drones additional

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good night james reveals

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executive producers south

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reveal , host reveals and school

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production porting

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npr acts follow

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us on twitter radio

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or facebook page xenon

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radio comes to you from the center for documentary

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studies that dc universe