GenForward ’s Post

HIGHER ED COLLEAGUES: YOU THINK THINGS WERE BAD DURING TRUMP'S FIRST TERM IN OFFICE? JUST LOOK AT WHAT HIS PLAN 2025 HAS IN STORE FOR THE NEXT TIME AROUND: Project 2025 Would Radically Overhaul Higher Ed. Here’s How. The sweeping conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration would dismantle the Education Department, privatize student loans and end all ongoing Title IX investigations. Critics say it’s a road map to authoritarianism. READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/eHszsm_2

BLACK PEOPLE WILL NEVER GET EQUITY OR EQUALITY Over the past several years we have heard terms like "diversity, inclusion and equity." This sounded good but was and is meaningless. When it comes to terms like equity and equality, we must ask ourselves what it really means and is it attainable for us? I would say no and no! We must first understand what these words mean. For purposes of what I am writing, I am going to define equity as being what is "fair" and "just" . I am going to define equality as being equal in rights, opportunities, status... Let's use student loans as an example. People who paid off their student loans espoused the view it would not be fair or equitable to forgive the loans of some and not for others. However, to really address what equitable is with regards to student loan pay offs, one would have to look at the equality side of the equation. Despite what the constitution says about " all men being equal" we are not created equal. In fact, I would say there are no two people on the planet who are equal even identical twins. With equality not being attainable in society, we have to then ask what is fair and just. In the student loan example, was it fair that some got college free as a result of legacy admissions as a result of how much their parents could afford to donate to a college compared to poor people who did not have that luxury and had to pay? The honest answer to that question is it was not fair, or equitable. People were penalized because they were poor and not "equal". We can say the same thing with regards to the disparate treatment that exists in the criminal injustice system. If you rob a bank you are going to jail for a long time. However, we have those who wear suits "rob" banks every day, get caught and sometimes get lesser sentences and often come out of jail being rich from the money they stole. We also see disparities in the bail system. My point is put simple, there is no such thing as equality and equity by the general definitions. As so-called black people we must stop seeking for something that is not attainable. We are wasting our time. We need what is more tangible. We need equal pay for equal work. We need livable wages. We need access to business capital. We need housing appraisals that reflect the true value of our property. We need banking interest rates that reflects our credit worthiness and not based on our skin color... What we don't need is nebulous asks that are not attainable. Asking for "equality" and "equity "is part of the reason we are ignored and not taken seriously. A lot of the verbiage we use today came from the so-called civil rights era. We need to stop using those terms and speak with specificity and meaning. Peace

Today is #BlackWomensEqualPayDay, aka the day that marks how far into the year Black women must work to catch up to what white, non-Hispanic men made in the previous year. Black women make around 66 cents on the dollar compared to non-Hispanic white men. Black women also hold a disproportionate amount of student debt, with higher amounts of debt borrowed. What does this mean? Black women have to work longer, for less, to earn the same amount white men—and white women, who make 84 cents on the dollar—make in a year. Black women also carry a higher burden of student debt, making it harder to buy a home, save for retirement, and reach other financial goals. Canceling up to $50,000 of student loan debt per borrower would have immediately increased the wealth of Black Americans by 40%. What can we do? - Congress can pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, modernize and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963. - Cancel student debt—all of it—and create a path to college for all. - Vote for elected officials who believe our work is valued and act on it.

Black parenting women face profound challenges in financing their college education. While it's not exclusively about parenting Black college students, a new report from The Century Foundation offers valuable insights into the unique barriers these women encounter. Systemic inequities and limited financial resources force many to rely heavily on loans, increasing their debt burden. It's time to advocate for policies that better support Black parenting women—making higher education more equitable and accessible. #HigherEducation #BlackMothers #StudentParents #Equity #FinancialAid #DebtBurden

"According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), almost two-thirds of borrowers with outstanding student debt are women. Young adult women are more likely than men to enroll in and graduate from higher education institutions. They also leave college with higher student debt levels and take longer to pay off that debt. In 2017 AAUW calculated that close to $929 billion in national student loan debt is carried by women. In part, this is because of the gender wage gap, with female-dominated occupations paying lower wages and gender discrimination in the labor market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, median wages in 2021 for female workers was 84.1% of median male earnings. However, if college-educated women disproportionately bear the burden of student debt, Black women should be the face of this issue."

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, four years after graduation Black borrowers are the only racial/ethnic group who owed an amount exceeding 100% of the initial loan. Black bachelor's degree completers face a unique and burdensome challenge: student loan debt that grows beyond what they initially borrowed. Just four years after tossing their caps in the air, Black graduates find themselves trapped in a cycle of debt. This is a call to action to address the underlying inequities that hinder progress and continue financial hardship. That's why we created Reducify™️. We are on a mission to empower students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) nationwide by tackling one of the largest barriers to wealth creation for Black borrowers: student loan debt. Help us spread the word, by sharing this information with HBCUs, financial centers for marginalized communities, and investors. Together, we can strive for a future where education truly opens doors to opportunity for all. #financialeducation #financialiteracymonth #studentloans #fintech #womenfounders #hbcu #startup #college

This is so telling... Over a staggering 12-year period, instead of witnessing a decrease, the average Black woman faces a 13% increase in her student loan debt - a testament to the systemic hurdles and predatory lending tactics that complicate the repayment process. Contrast this with counterparts in other demographics, where significant decreases are noted, revealing a profound disparity in the financial aftermath of education. We're aiming to address these inequities head-on. 🩷Learn how you can support our mission at theprosparityproject.org

Black women take out an average of $38,800 in loans to complete a bachelor’s degree, the highest of any race or gender. Eliminating the pay gap could allow Black women to pay off student loan debt within TWO YEARS. We need #equalpay NOW if Black women are going to have economic security @npwf #BlackWomensEqualPayDay

A brief drawing on data from the Education Department's College Scorecard finds that graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) tend to earn less and owe more debt than their counterparts at non-HBCUs. This is attributed to be caused by systemic racism and underfunding. #GreatCollegeAdvice #HBCUs #StudentOutcomes

A brief drawing on data from the Education Department's College Scorecard finds that graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) tend to earn less and owe more debt than their counterparts at non-HBCUs. This is attributed to be caused by systemic racism and underfunding. #GreatCollegeAdvice #HBCUs #StudentOutcomes