The Record · $1.25 Billion

The largest civil-rights settlement in US history had a logistics problem.

Roughly 100,000 people were owed a hearing. Many were elderly, many were rural, and the deadline was real. Somebody had to turn that into a map.

Black farmers and supporters outside the US Department of Agriculture — Claimants outside the US Department of Agriculture.

The Story

He converted 100,000 addresses into coordinates.

In In re Black Farmers Discrimination Litigation — “Pigford II” — the federal government agreed to pay $1.25 billion to Black farmers denied USDA loans and assistance over decades of documented discrimination.

Agreeing to pay is not the same as reaching people. Eric took a roster of roughly 100,000 claimant addresses, converted it into map coordinates, and sited claimant-assistance meetings so farmers would not have to travel far for help — all timed against a May 2012 filing deadline.

On December 8, 2010 he was in the room when President Obama signed the Claims Resolution Act, the legislation that funded the settlement. The invitation is below.

In 2014 the National Black Farmers Association gave him a Recognition of Excellence.

On the Record

Every figure, and where it comes from.

Court findings, independent journalism and personal accounts are different kinds of evidence. They are kept apart here on purpose.

$1.25BSettlement fundCourt record

$1,200,425,182.08Distribution approved August 23, 2013Court-approved accounting

~18,000Claimants who prevailed, most receiving $62,500Court record

384Claimant-assistance meetings referenced in the fee opinionCourt record

~100,000Claimant addresses converted to map coordinatesBusiness North Carolina, Nov 2019

$90.8MFees awarded to class counsel. The opinion cites Eric’s declaration at p. 20, describing the design and implementation of the assistance strategyFee opinion, 11 Jul 2013

8 Dec 2010White House signing of the Claims Resolution ActInvitation on file

2014Recognition of ExcellenceNational Black Farmers Association

Said precisely. The court’s fee opinion attributes the claimant-assistance program to class counsel collectively, and cites Eric’s declaration as the account of designing and implementing that strategy. He was the operator, not the litigator. The record says so, and so does he.

The Evidence

Documents and photographs from the case.

White House invitation, December 6, 2010Office of Public Engagement

Opinion awarding attorney feesUS District Court, 11 Jul 2013

Declaration of Eric J. SanchezCourt filing

Press gathers at the NBFA tractor, Washington DCContemporaneous photograph

Tractor at the White HouseContemporaneous photograph

John Boyd Jr, National Black Farmers AssociationContemporaneous photograph

The Record

$1.25 Billion Inventor Author US Marine

This is the talk track.

Operations stops being a back-office word when the process decides who gets heard.

Check Availability