Exploring the Past of the New Farmers of America (NFA): The Merger with the FFA

This paper, "Exploring the Past of the New Farmers of America (NFA): The merger with the FFA", identifies the rationale that existed in the 1960s which may have led to the merger of the New Farmers of America (NFA) and the Future Farmers of America (FFA). It also includes memos presented from archives referencing the controversies surrounding the merger immediately before and after 1965. This paper is divided into sections with examples of pertinent information found in archives surrounding the merger. History is used as a guide in determining what has led to the decrease of African American students in the FFA. The NFA was a thriving organization for African American males prior to the merger in 1965 with over 58,000 members, but since that time total membership for African Americans in the FFA has declined by over 38,000. Focusing on diversity is a major issue in today's society. Looking back at the past is one way of determining what may have led to the decline of African American students in agricultural education. Background information is presented referencing the general history of the NFA and the everyday activities of the organization, which includes the Aims and Purposes of th