FCA Foundation Selects 2016 National Black Farmers Association Scholarship Winners

Scholarships cultivate a new era of black farmers

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Sep 12, 2016, 10:00 ET

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, and the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA) today announced recipients of the National Black Farmers Association Scholarship. The 2016 class of 21 students, who represent the promise of a new generation of black farmers, will receive $100,000 in scholarships that will help them pursue agriculture-related college degrees.

"It is a privilege to support these remarkable young people as they pursue higher education," said Lesley Slavitt, Head of Civic Engagement, FCA US LLC, and CEO of the FCA Foundation. "Through advanced study these students will undoubtedly acquire the skills and knowledge to ensure they are transformational leaders who successfully address the challenges confronting food security."

2016 National Black Farmers Association Scholarship Recipients
Student	Hometown, State	Educational Institution	Major
Demetrius K. Arnold	Fayetteville, Ark.	University of Arkansas	Agricultural Systems Technology Management
L'Quaan C. Atkinson	Greensboro, N.C.	North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University	Agricultural Education
Ali Austin	Tuskegee, Ala.	Tuskegee University	Agribusiness
Anthony D. Bland	Starkville, Miss.	Mississippi State University	Agribusiness / Accounting
Cameron Bradshaw	Manhattan, Kan.	Kansas State University	Agribusiness
Candace Clark	Tuskegee, Ala.	Tuskegee University	Agribusiness
Ariel K. Demotte-Carter	College Station, TX	Texas A&M University	Food Science
Edra Fisher*	Springfield, Ill.	Lincoln Land Community College	Agriculture
Isabella G. Fisher*	Springfield, Ill.	Lincoln Land Community College	Biology / Holistic Nutrition
Gabrielle Galvan	San Luis Obispo, Calif.	California Polytechnic State University	Animal Science
Aaron Gauff	Belleville, Ill.	Lindenwood University	Biology
Taylor Gauff	Dover, Del.	Delaware State University	Veterinary Science
Peyton Greenwood	Tuskegee, Ala.	Tuskegee University	Food Science
Charisma Heath	Fort Valley, Ga.	Fort Valley State University	Veterinary Science
Bryant A. Hunter	Prairie View, TX	Prairie View A&M University	Animal Science
Marquan Jones	Ithaca, N.Y.	Cornell University	Food Science
Aaron F. Lewis	Tuskegee, Ala.	Tuskegee University	Animal Science
Xavier Price	Tallahassee, Fla.	Florida A&M University	Ag-Science / Entomology
Logan R. Quinn	Corvallis, Ore.	Oregon State University	Breeding / Genetics
Danelle Solomon	Nashville, Tenn.	Tennessee State University	Agribusiness
Michael D. Walker	Baton Rouge, La.	Southern University and A&M College	Agricultural Science
*Recipient of a $2,500 scholarship; all others received $5,000 scholarships

Scholarships of up to $5,000 each were awarded on a competitive basis to students pursuing agriculture-related study at an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school.

"The plight of the black farmers and the loss of black-owned farms have been a major issue for well over 100 years," said John Boyd, Jr., President of the National Black Farmers Association. "In 1910, nearly 1 million black farm families owned over 15 million acres of land. Today, less than 45,000 black farm families own 3 million acres. The NBFA Scholarship program will begin to address black land loss.

"This year's recipients represent a new era of future farmers and agricultural leaders," Boyd concluded.

Since 2015, the National Black Farmers Association Scholarship has awarded more than $180,000.

About the National Black Farmers Association
The National Black Farmers Association is a non-profit organization representing African-American farmers and their families in the United States. As an association, it serves tens of thousands of members nationwide. NBFA's education and advocacy efforts have been focused on civil rights, land retention, access to public and private loans, education and agricultural training and rural economic development for black and other small farmers.

About the FCA Foundation
The FCA Foundation, the charitable arm of FCA US LLC, invests in charitable organizations and initiatives that help empower people, build strong, viable communities and generate meaningful and measurable societal impacts.

Additionally, FCA US seeks opportunities to support communities through its Motor Citizens® volunteer program. This innovative program enables FCA US salaried employees to use 18 hours of paid time each year to be an Engine for Change by investing their time and talents in community service projects.

SOURCE FCA US LLC