Dr. John W. Boyd, Jr.
2005 LOE Award Recipient
"Keeper of the Flame" Award Recipient
Given in appreciation for his efforts to expose the world to the African American scholars, teachers and leaders.
 Racial discrimination is a personal, as well as national concern of John W. Boyd, Jr. As the owner of a 300-acre poultry farm in Virginia, Mr. Boyd nearly lost both his home and livelihood due to the discriminatory practices of USDA between 1986-1997.
As a result of the challenges Mr. Boyd and other Black farm families faced, Mr. Boyd founded the National Black Farmers Association (hereinafter "NBFA") in 1996 (an organization that provides outreach and assistance to 80,000 Black farm families throughout the United States and the world.
Due to the fact that Mr. is dedicated and committed to eradicating discrimination against anyone, particularly minority farmers, Mr. Boyd discussed the plight of Black farmers with leadership of the House of Representatives in a campaign that resulted in the Congressional tolling of the statue of limitations. This tolling allowed Black farmers who faced discrimination from 1981-1997 to have a legal standing to bring forth civil rights violations before a federal court. The results of the investigations and the tolling of the statue of limitations culminated in the largest civil rights class action settlement in U.S. history. Nearly 90,000 black farm families came forth for compensation.
November 2003, Mr Boyd rode his covered wagon & mule's Struggle and 40 acres over 280 miles to Washington D.C to protest the lack of payments to Black farmers. The event brought National attention. Mr. Boyd was named ABC news person of the week. He has protested all over Washington D.C. to the United Nations, & around the country with his mules they have become house hold names.
Mr. Boyd has traveled the world to secure trade agreements for Black farmers, He has visited several countries in Africa, Brazil, China recently Mr. Boyd negotiated a 20,000,000 million dollar trade agreement with the President of Cuba Fidel Castro.
Mr Boyd's position has also afforded him the opportunity to continually converse with members of other disadvantaged groups, whom faced discrimination. He has lobbied to officials around the country ; including President Bush, Vice President Chaney Former President Carter, former President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore USDA Agriculture Secretary Espy, Glickman, & Venenman. As well as various Congressional officials regarding USDA discrimination against minorities. To this end, Mr. Boyd testified before the house committee on agriculture of the 105th congress on both March 19, 1997 and July 17, 1997 and the Senate Committee on Agriculture on September 12, 2000. Mr. Boyd also testified before the Congressional Black Caucus on April 23, 1997 and numerous other committees regarding discrimination.
Over the years Mr. Boyd has become a national civil rights advocate he continues to challenge major corporations who have showed to have poor records serving his people, to include Walmart, Circuit city, Major commercial Banks such as Wachovia. And other issues to numerous to name.
Mr. Boyd was a candidate for the United States House of Representatives Fifth District of Virginia. Mr. Promised to bring new jobs and economic development as well as promote education and technology for the region. With only $60,000 and a largely volunteer staff, Mr. Boyd was able to ascertain nearly 40% of the voters. This was a tremendous achievement.
In 2001 Mr Boyd formed the John Boyd Agricultural & Technology Institute at Saint Paul's college to help educate black farmers & introduce them to the internet.
Mr. Boyd is listed in Who's Who among African Americans, Ebony Magazine's 100 most Influential Black Men in America, and in 1998 he was nominated for the NAACP highest honor, the Spingarn Award. Mr. Boyd has been interviewed numerous times on such programs as 60 minutes, CBS Morning, News Hour with Jim Lehr, CNN, CNN Headline News, ABC Evening News NBC Evening News ABC's Nightline with Ted Koppel. Mr. Boyd has also been featured in a number of just about every national and regional publication: including but not limited to Ebony Magazine, Essence Magazine, Upscale Magazine, the Washington Post The Washington Times, the Los Angeles, Times News Week, Magazine Time Magazine, NY Times NY Post London Times U.S. News and World Report, Wall Street Journal, The National Journal, and the Farm Journal.
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