Just Harvest

The Story of How Black Farmers Won the Largest Civil Rights Case against the U.S. Government

By: Greg A. Francis

Narrated by: Wintley Phipps

When a class-action lawsuit against the US government results in a billion-dollar settlement for the aggrieved parties, you’d expect the story to be headline news...to be posted on social media everywhere...to be adapted to film or even to a popular legal procedural series on TV....

So why then have so many people never heard of Pigford vs. Glickman?

Or the follow-up lawsuit, Pigford II?

Or the Black Farmers Case, as the pair of these legal actions is often called?

Could it be that the heart-wrenching story of Black farmers in America, and the monumental legal case that brought long-sought justice to them, is rarely told because it reflects so poorly on the US and its treatment of those whose ancestors helped make the nation an agricultural giant in the first place?

Whatever the reason, the time to tell the full story has come and the person to share the gripping details is Greg Francis, one of the lead counsels in the historic case that finally helped Black farmers achieve equity. In Just Harvest, Francis narrates the dramatic twists and turns of the legal battle fought and won, and evidences the many years of ingrained discrimination and racism that preceded it. Awareness of this story makes us all witnesses to the history still unfolding - and while parts of what is recounted herein will enrage you, the hope is that this book will also inspire, inform, and motivate you to join the continuing fight for the rights of all Black farmers now and in the future.

©2021 Gregorio A. Francis (P)2021 Platform Creators, LLC

I love this book! Read til the end

This book is an amazing story of the author and how he got involved in the largest civil rights case and settlement in U.S history as well as the story and plight of black farmers and their families! The book and the narrator were 👏🏽 amazing. I really appreciated the interview at the end as well. Thank you for this book and the work you are doing to make the world a better place!

Great on Audio

I had never heard of the lawsuit this book was based on. Actually it’s two lawsuits, but the main emphasis of the book is on the history-making second one, so I’ll stick with that.

The story of how the lawsuit came about and was ultimately won is equal parts fascinating, heartbreaking, and redemptive. The book is a good read if you like history or legal drama. “Just Harvest” divided into three parts.

Part 1 is the shortest, just four chapters. It tells the story of the Greg Francis, the book author, who was one of the lead lawyers in the lawsuit. This section covers how his family came to America, his struggle to get through law school, and how he came to be connected to this case.

Part 2 has seven chapters and covers the history of black farmers in America. This section focuses on the hard work, difficulties, and injustices faced from the founding of the country up to modern days.

Part 3 is the longest in the book at eight chapters. It covers the background of what led up to the two lawsuits against the U.S. government, why the second suit was deemed necessary, and ultimately how the case was won.

It’s an eye-opening journey. I enjoyed the book on audio. This is a particularly good audiobook as it is narrated by Wintley Phipps, a minister and gospel-singer known for his booming baritone voice. Phipps really turns this audiobook into a compelling performance. Almost like he's presenting a one-man stage play. You can hear his passion for the topic and that makes some of the more difficult passages of the book better. I listened to it sped up a bit at 1.2x and it was just right.

The audiobook has a bonus interview between the author Greg Francis and Phipps. It’s over forty minutes long and includes some additional information not covered in the book. So that’s a nice bonus.

One of the greatest stories never told.

People think that discrimination in America is some ancient phenomena, but this book proves that not to be the case.

Very informative

I enjoyed this e-book very much. It’s amazing how things are going on and you have no knowledge at all because of me any things are coming your way to battle with trying to understand and I can sing what Dr. Derek Bell Dr Brown critical race theory..

Why was this not in the news?

What I like, Powerful story, powerful facts, I’ve heard the saying that the wheels of justice grind slowly. This is a great example of that. Highly recommend.