This week, over 100 farmers and advocates from across Illinois gathered at the state capitol for an event that has become a powerful annual tradition: the Illinois Black Farmer Lobby Day. The event celebrates the contributions, legacy and agricultural future of Black farmers and year-after-year builds power to push for policy change rooted in racial equity, land access, and rural prosperity. Led by CROP member and Illinois Representative Sonya Harper, in partnership with Illinois Stewardship Alliance, advocates and numerous Black farmer led community groups, the event spotlighted the leadership of Black farmers and the urgent need to remove systemic barriers in agriculture.
Since the start of the second Trump administration, escalating attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) have rolled back, eliminated, and blocked many of the recent gains made at the state and federal level to support Black farmer equity, making this work more important than ever.
What began as a single-state gathering has grown into something bigger: a space for cross-state learning, international solidarity, and deep relationship-building between lawmakers and the communities they serve. This year’s event included two honored guests from the CROP—Representative Annie McDaniel of South Carolina and Senator Hillman Frazier of Mississippi—who traveled to Illinois to witness firsthand how Rep. Harper is using her legislative role to work alongside communities to advance farmer equity through policy and advocacy.
Their participation was part of a broader effort by SiX to connect legislators across states who are committed to building inclusive and diverse rural economies. Since 2020, SiX has been hosting a working group of state legislators from around the country that are working on farmer equity issues. The working group provides a virtual peer learning space for policymakers to collaborate, share ideas, and build relationships. Last year, the idea emerged to bring conversations between CROP members offline and into in-person gatherings—something we’re calling a CROP Rotation—to create opportunities to share radical and effective strategies across state lines. These “legislator exchanges” were envisioned to support policymakers in visiting other members during the state legislative session to see first hand how their colleagues across the country are approaching their work. The visit to Illinois was the first of hopefully many CROP Rotations and during this event the seeds were planted for future black farmer lobby days in South Carolina, Mississippi, and beyond!
In addition to connecting with farmers and partner organizations, Rep. McDaniel and Sen. Frazier met with Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch, one of only six Black Speakers in the nation, and took part in a press conference alongside Rep. Harper and other leaders. Their presence highlighted the strength of Black-led leadership across state lines and reinforced the value of collaborative governance grounded in justice and shared experience.
“The opportunity to meet the Illinois Speaker, Lt. Governor, and members of the Illinois legislative delegation was an honor. I was glad to support my friend, Agriculture Chair Representative Sonya Harper and to interact with the delegation from the Republic of Congo. I am indebted to SiX for the valuable memories and opportunities gained from this experience. I look forward to building on these relationships and sharing information with my colleagues in South Carolina.”
– South Carolina State Representative Annie McDaniel
IL Rep. Sonya Harper (center) offers plaques to honored guests SC Rep. Annie McDaniel (left) and MS Sen. Hillman Frazier (right).
“I appreciate SiX, Representative Harper, Liz Stelk at Illinois Stewardship Alliance for making it possible for me to attend the 3rd Annual Black Farmers and Growers Lobby Day. I was able to see how they empowered the Black Farmers and Growers to use their voices in the halls of the Illinois Capitol. Boots on the ground really make a difference when adopting policies and passing laws that affect different constituent groups. The Lobby Day activities motivated me to work harder at giving the Black farmers and growers a voice at the Mississippi Capitol.”
– Mississippi Senator Hillman Frazier
This year’s celebration also extended beyond U.S. borders. A delegation from the Democratic Republic of the Congo was in attendance, including Congolese farmers, a minister of agriculture, and other representatives. Their participation added a global dimension to the event and served as a reminder that the struggle for land justice and equitable food systems is both local and international.
IL Rep. Sonya Harper (front row, second from the left), SC Rep. Annie McDaniel (back row, second from the right), and MS Sen. Hillman Frazier (back row, farthest to the right) pose with Illinois House Speaker Emanuel Chris Welch (back row, center) and members of the delegation from The Democratic Republic of the Congo (throughout).
At its heart, this gathering was about more than celebration—it was about making visible the people who have long been excluded from agricultural policy conversations and building the political will to change that. With growing participation, strengthened partnerships, and leadership from state legislators committed to advancing justice, Illinois is setting an example of what it means to lead with equity and care in rural and food policy.
Central to this lobby day was a suite of bills introduced by Rep. Harper and created in collaboration with the community aimed at supporting independent farms and Black farmers, and.
- HR 152 Black Farmers and Growers Week: This resolution would declare May 11-17 Black Farmers and Growers Week highlighting Black contributions to agriculture in the state.
- HB 3067 Small Farmer Restoration Program: This bill would establish the Farmer Restoration Program within the Dept. of Agriculture and Farm Conservations Corps to develop agricultural career skills and create a state grant program for the purchase of farmland conservation easements, enabling farmland ownership at agricultural, not development, prices.
- HJR 27 Good Food Purchasing Task Force: This resolution would establish the Illinois Good Food Policy Task Force to study access to healthy food procured in a principled manner and recommend 1-3 pilot sites to begin implementing values-based food purchasing. The Good Food Purchasing Program is built on 5 core values: local economies, health, a valued workforce, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability.
- HB 1607 Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts: This bill would establish the Commission on Eliminating Food Deserts in the Office of Lt. Governor, reviewing the effectiveness of current State-led efforts to eliminate food deserts and advising on policy, funding, and initiatives to improve food access for the 3 million Ilinoisans who live in food deserts.
The SiX Agriculture & Food Systems team remains committed to supporting these connections—between states, across communities, and among those working every day to grow a just and sustainable food system that serves all of us.