How to Differentiate the Food Stamp Program from the SNAP

When a struggling and disabled black man in the US runs out of money to buy food, where should he go? The first thing that comes to mind is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that is better known under its former name, the Food Stamp Program. As the US Federal Government's most extensive food aid and nutrition program, it is meant to address the food adequacy needs of low-income households. The first iteration of the program was in 1939 with orange and blue-colored stamps or coupons. Individuals eligible for relief were issued the equivalent amount in orange stamps of their food expenses that they can use to buy any type of food. For every dollar of the orange stamps, 50 cents of blue stamps were given to buy food identified surplus by the government.

The second coming of the Food Stamp Program came by way of the Food Stamp Act of 1964 under the administration of President Lyndon Johnson. It was subsequently revamped by way of the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977 whose claim to fame was the removal of the food purchase requirement imposed on the qualified recipients. 

With the passage of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, the Food Stamp Program was given a new label, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It also authorized the use of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) as the vehicle for the release of assistance, and effectively ended the era of food stamps.

by Chibike I. Nwabude

What are the Rights of a Disabled Black Man in the US

The US is not known to be the most benefits-friendly country in the world for persons with disabilities (PWDs). According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, European countries like Sweden, Norway, and Finland have more generous compensation or benefits given to disabled persons than the US.  It is worth mentioning that the integration of the PWDs to society, including the workforce, in the US is above the OECD average. However, its integration efforts still pale compared to the inroads made by countries like Germany, Denmark, and Finland. A disabled black man in the US who wants to assert his rights can call on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to protect him.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the guiding civil rights law that shelters PWDs from unwanted discrimination. Passed as a law in 1990, its amended version with the title Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments (ADAAA) was signed into law and took effect on January 1, 2009. It mandates a no-discrimination policy for individuals with disabilities in the areas of employment, public transportation, and public accommodation. For those who experience discrimination at work, the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the agency tasked to regulate and enforce the law. The US Department of Justice, meanwhile, prosecutes violators in the public transportation and public accommodation sectors.

Black men and women PWDs need to know that discrimination should not be tolerated. When subjected to such, they have, at their disposal, the means and mechanism to fight back. 

by Chibike I. Nwabude