Black farmers in the United States lost nearly 90 percent of their farmland during the 20th century. A legal tangle known as heirs' property is a potential leading cause.
Black landowners have been disproportionately affected by heirs' property—which is land passed down through generations without legal title—due to a history of racism in this country. The federal government has an obligation to help these landowners resolve their title issues, so they can more easily qualify for federal loans and grants and avoid being taken advantage of by predatory buyers.
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Citation
Reznickova, Alice. 2023. Lost Inheritance: Black Farmers Face an Uncertain Future without Heirs' Property Reform. Cambridge, MA: Union of Concerned Scientists. https://doi.org/10.47923/2023.15127
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