USDA
Coalition of Minority Employees
Phone: (856) 910-2399
Cell: (202) 744-4384
Email: LawrLCL@aol.com
Biography
Lawrence C. Lucas came to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1977 as a political appointee during
President Jimmy Carter’s Administration; after spending five years in
During his tenure at USDA, Lucas served
as speech writer for former Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland
and other members of the Subcabinet. He
retired from USDA in 1996, after 37 years of service and became a staunch civil rights advocates. Lucas has served as president of The U.S. Department
of Agriculture Coalition of Minority Employees (The Coalition) since 1994,
transforming it into one of the most provocative, creative, and diverse civil
rights employee organizations in the history of USDA. Lucas pioneered a communication program that
has benefitted minority farmers and USDA employees and lectured at numerous
prestigious institutions (i.e., Tuskegee University, Iowa State University,
California Poly Technical University, Pomona, and others), regarding government
accountability, civil and human rights, workforce diversity and recruitment and
outreach to under served minority communities.
His outspoken support of federal civil rights enforcement has captured
the attention of the White House, Members of Congress, and the Media.
During the Clinton Administration
Lucas partnered with other USDA employee and minority farm organizations to
create one of the most powerful alliances ever established in USDA history (to
date has not been replicated). Together
with the National Black Farmer Association and other farm advocacy groups,
Lucas negotiated with former Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, for the
establishment of the historical USDA Civil Rights Action Team, that found gross
civil rights violations in USDA implementation of its programs to minority
farmers, especially, Black farmers and discrimination against USDA
employees.
Mr. Lucas has been invited to
testify before the Congressional Black Caucus, the U.S. House and Senate
Agriculture Committee (Senator Lugar Chair) as well as other key
Committees. His most recent testimony
presented to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, May 14,
2008, (Aldophus Towns, Chair) pushed for the passage
of legislation that gave approximately 73,000 Black farmers an opportunity to
collect damages resulting from the settlement of the Pigford
vs. Glickman Class Action lawsuit.
Lucas, one of the many leaders
advocating early complaint resolution and processing of minority farmers and
USDA employee cases, is the recipient of numerous civil rights and workforce
diversity awards. He has been critical
of USDA leadership with respect to their turning a blind eye to the widespread
discrimination, sexual abuse and attacks, reprisal and retaliation, hostile
work environment and intimidation of USDA employees and minority farmers by
USDA management officials. Over the past
years, he has been crusading for improving civil rights administrative and
program activities for all federal employees and customers and is a key partner
of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),
Federal Sector Taskforce, Leroy Warren, Chair, Environmental Organizations and
others. Lucas’ wide range of activities
has resulted in increasing the Coalition’s visibility and credibility has put
civil rights on the radar screen at the USDA, Congress and the Nation.
As a leader working in cooperation
and partnership with the USDA Office of the Secretary, to resolve issues
regarding civil rights, workforce diversity and outreach to employees and
underserved communities, his resolve has never waivered. He has remained
independent … never controlled by those with agendas counter to the purpose and
mission of the Coalition. As a result of
his dynamic leadership, “The Coalition” has gained national recognition. Its
unique structure…multicultural, multiracial and multiethnic, has precipitated
its being designated one of the Federal government’s premier civil rights
organizations. Lucas has revitalized and mobilized the group…building it into the
highly respected and effective organization it is today.
Advocates attribute Lucas’
tireless efforts to reinvent USDA’s discriminatory culture of abuse,
retaliation, racism and sexism into one where employees and minority farmers
are treated with dignity and respect to his “Tenacity” and “Solution-driven
Actions.” Bringing viable solutions to
the table have earned him the respect of civil rights leaders and federal
managers and have saved millions of taxpayer dollars.
“I Took A Road Less
Traveled … And That Has Made All The Difference”
Robert Frost
but where he stands
at moments of challenge
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.