Black Tractor Project

Before you is a sculpture titled Black Tractor Project, which artist Bernard Williams created out of EPS foam, polyurethane, steel, wood, and paint. It stands 9 x 7 x 12 ft.

In 2016, the artist inherited a small amount of money from his uncle, a farmer based in Montgomery, Alabama. The gift was the result of a $1.2 billion settlement against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the Pigford v. Glickman class action lawsuit, (informally known as The Black Farmers Settlement) which ruled in favor of the Black farmers who experienced discrimination from the USDA from 1981-1996. Although it is not widely known, The Black Farmers Settlement is the largest civil rights settlement to date.

Black Tractor Project is an homage to the strength, power, and labor of African-American farmers in the United States. This large scale, fabricated sculpture aligns with Williams’ interest in bringing attention to lost narratives of struggle and invention. In creating this monument, the artist honors his personal connection to the Black Farmers Settlement and reinserts it into American history.