New Farmers of America

The New Farmers of America (NFA) collection reflects the history of the organization from the early twentieth century until the civil rights era during the 1960s, making available photographs, conference brochures, and publications from the organization’s past. The national organization was officially established in 1935 to promote vocational agriculture education for young African-American males in southern public schools. The organization was established at a time when the United States promoted the “separate but equal” doctrine in the country. North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University served as the headquarters of the New Farmers of America national organization. The NFA existed for thirty years until the “separate but equal” law was overturned in 1965. During its existence the NFA membership grew to over 58,000 and more than 1,000 chapters were founded.

The three-year project is funded by the National FFA Foundation and Tractor Supply Company.