Justice To Black Farmers, Indian Tribes

By: Shawna Shepherd / CNN

WASHINGTON  - John Boyd Jr. finally got what he wanted: justice.  For more than a decade, he's been riding his tractor to Washington, knocking on the doors of Congressional members, and pressuring the White House to fund a settlement from an historic discrimination case involving minority farmers.

Today, President Obama signed into law the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, which in part funds the $1.15 billion Pigford II case against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who for years denied government farm loans and support from federal programs to farmers because of the color of their skin.

CNN first brought the case and Boyd's story to you in May, and we wanted to share this video that was shot and edited by CNN's Khalil Abdallah around that time.

Boyd will not receive a payout from the settlement, but it's been his job as president of the National Black Farmers Association to lobby on behalf of those eligible to get what's owed to them.

The legislation will also fund the $3.4 billion Cobell settlement with the U.S. Department of Interior for mishandling Native American trust funds, along with water rights lawsuits brought by Native American tribes.

At today's bill signing President Obama said, "When we’ve fallen short, it’s been up to ordinary citizens to stand up to inequality and unfairness wherever they find it.  That’s how we’ve made progress.  That’s how we’ve moved forward.  And that’s why we are here today - to sign a bill into law that closes a long and unfortunate chapter in our history."