Hi, interdisciplinary social scientist here. I see a LOT of convo around #CancelStudentDebt, and I want to help frame this concept. Not only is canceling student debt good for the economy, it also has potential to reduce wealth disparities and access to schooling. Data THREAD!

Last year I compiled this data report to articulate the impact of student debt Andre the potential implications its universal forgiveness can’t have. Some data is now out of date, but overwhelmingly still relevant. #CancelStudentDebt

#CancelStudentDebt will massively reduce the national debt, and also provide relief to Black and other marginalized communities that were gas lit by the notions of “meritocracy” in a codified caste structure.

#CancelStudentDebt is a first step to recovering portions of wealth wiped away during the Great Recession, of which Black communities and families have yet to recover from.

Making Higher Ed state-owned schools free (per state constitutions) will also free students from working to finance school, and thus reduce time-to-degree. The sooner ppl graduate = sooner they can work and fully contribute to the economy. #CancelStudentDebt

@MehrsaBaradaran

When America thinks “educated citizenry” it thinks School enrollment and educational attainment. We must also think of racism, sexism, access to opportunity. #CancelStudentDebt

Black women are the most degreed and educated demographic in the United States (from Associate to Ph.D. Degree), acquire insurmountable debt, yet continue to be underemployed, underpaid, and thus have a net worth of LESS THAN $10 when aged mid-30s to 50s ( @ProfessorCrunk)

Institutional marginalization, racism, and oppression in K-12 schools and within its teaching force has increased the number of Black and brown students in developmental courses— courses that DO NOT bear credits toward degree completion. This lengthens enrollment time adding debt

The racial wealth gap will persist until institutional structures and our Govt reckon with the fact that “meritocracy” breeds cognitive dissonance and cyclical oppression. Intersectional injustice and misogynoir exemplified #CancelStudentDebt

Black women with master degrees are out-earned by white men with associate degrees. #CancelStudentDebt is needed! It can help to repair and restore economic losses, increase schooling access, and reduce the racial wealth gap.

We must also frame #CancelStudentDebt as the social, gender and race-based issue it disproportionately is. Thank you @AyannaPressley for inspiring this thread. All communities, including those of color, need relief.

*Research conducted by me, summer ‘19

Researchers whose scholarship is cited in thread:

@MehrsaBaradaran
@ProfessorCrunk
@LDH_ed
@saragoldrickrab
@SouthernEdFound
Derrick Bell, among others

**Forgive typos—done with Twitter for iPad web browser

Further articulating the need for #CancelStudentDebt is the fact that pay, while on the rise for nearly every demographic, is on the rescind for Black women—who have seen salaries decrease over the past two years PRIOR to the pandemic and “shecession”