Memphis-based black farmers group endorses Kavanaugh for Supreme Court
The Memphis-based Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association has endorsed Brett Kavanaugh’snomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, citing Kavanaugh’s support of a decision favoring African-American farmers in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Kavanaugh, whose Senate confirmation hearing concluded Friday, is a circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington. In that role, Kavanaugh voted with the majority last October to uphold the claims of 15,000 AfricanAmerican farmers and their heirs who said they were denied crop loans and other assistance based on race.
Thomas Burrell, founder and president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, said in a letter to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, that the farmers group believes Kavanaugh’s “credentials of fairness, integrity and upholding the U.S. Constitution are valuable assets to our nation.”
“BFAA is honored to inform you that our members are in unified support of the Honorable Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court as an Associate Justice,” the letter reads.
Burrell said Monday through spokeswoman Patricia Rogers that there are some concerns on other issues, but that the group is confident in its support of Kavanaugh.
“As long as he follows the law on other issues, he has our support,” Burrell said.
Memphis Bishop David Allen Hall, pastor of Temple Church of God in Christ, joined a delegation last month that met with senior Trump administration officials at the White House to ask the president to settle the lawsuit with USDA in light of the appellate court affirmation of their claims.
The delegation got no commitment from Kevin Childs, a Trump adviser, but Hall said after the meeting he was satisfied that the issue had been placed on the White House’s radar.
“They gave us a good ear and said they would pass it down the line,” Hall said after the meeting. “Those were the kinds of things we were looking for.”
The Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association represents more than 20,000 African-American farmers, landowners and heirs nationwide.
Senators on the Judiciary Committee, of which Grassley is chairman, may vote on Kavanaugh’s confirmation Sept. 20. If so, a vote by the full Senate could come the following week.
Republicans hope to have Kavanaugh on the bench in time for the first day of the new court term on Oct. 1.
Trump nominated Kavanaugh to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy.