MEMPHIS, Tenn. — More members of an advocacy group for Black farmers have turned to WREG saying they’re fed up with the very organization that’s supposed to be fighting on their behalf.
So, NewsChannel 3 took those latest complaints to the man in charge.
“USDA is the culprit here, not BFAA,” exclaimed Thomas Burrell.
That was the message to members, at least to those who turned to WREG with their complaints about the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association. Burrell is the founder and president of the organization.
WREG asked Burrell for a response to the numerous, additional complaints we’ve received from members.
Burrell responded, “Well, the question is, what are they complaining about, ma’am?”
A more than six month long WREG investigation uncovered several complaints taken to state and federal regulators about BFAA.
Members demand answers from Black farmers advocacy group
Some members said they paid dues and were promised settlement money in return.
Others members received denial letters from the USDA for its $2 billion Discrimination Financial Assistance Program because their applications were filed after the deadline, submitted by individuals they said were working with BFAA.
“If they’re complaining about DFAP, you know what they ought to do, join us, because that’s what we’re doing,” Burrell told WREG.
The WREG Investigators further explained to Burrell details about complaints we’d received: “The complaint is not about the application about DFAP, the complaint is about BFAA and you misleading them regarding DFAP.”
He responded, “How much misleading is there? Are you gonna say that the surgeon general misleads people about smoking when he puts a warning on the back of a box of cigarettes.”
Surrounded by members, Burrell hosted a press conference on February 5, exactly one week after the WREG Investigators aired its series of stories.
Our newsroom has been flooded with phone calls and emails from even more BFAA members with complaints and questions, like Dortha Miller who says she just recently learned the application window for DFAP closed last year.
“So that really made me wonder why they still going around taking people’s money
and no one taking the applications anymore. The applications it cut off in January of 2024,
and they took my money of September 2024,” said Miller.
“The money is gone. The program is not being re-extended yet and still, Mr. Burrell is convincing folks that they have a chance,” said Kiki Singletary-Williams.
WREG investigates more complaints against Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association
We recently shared the story of Singletary-Williams and her relatives, some who’ve belonged to BFAA members for two decades.
“You promised all of us $50,000, Mr. Burrell. Where is it? Some of my relatives are on up in age, they’ve been dependent on this,” said Singletary-Williams to WREG.
After suing the USDA to expand DFAP to include heir, BFAA’s attorney recently presented their case to an appeals court. Burrell also used his time at the podium during the press conference to explain his push to get President Trump involved.
He told WREG, “We’re going to engage in a full, all out effort.”
The WREG Investigators asked Singletary-Williams, “Are you confident that BFAA could get a response from the Trump administration that would be beneficial to its members?”
She replied, “I’m confident on a scale of 1 to a million, zero.”