Jul 21, 2021
“Cancel Student Debt: Build Black Women’s Futures” is the campaign theme for 1K Women Strong’s digital campaIgn to urge Black women to stand up and tell the Biden Administration to cancel $50,000 in student loan debt for every borrower.
“We are engaging and lifting up our voices in this campaign, because there are thousands of women, but especially Black women that are greatly impacted by student loan debt,” said Shakya Cherry-Donaldson, Executive Director of 1K Women Strong. “The time is now to fight for our own financial freedom.”
More than 25,000 individuals have signed the national cancel student debt petition. Out of that number approximately 12,000 are Black women. “We are organizing for change because the way I see it, student loan debt for Black women is widening the wealth gap and harming our families and communities,” said Cherry-Donaldson.
“The gender pay gap makes this student debt crisis a very serious issue for Black women.” 1K Women Strong believes that investing in student loan debt sends a message of hope and promise to Black women across the nation and sets the stage to begin building Black women’s futures.
To educate and bring awareness to the issue, 1K Women Strong started hosting virtual town hall meetings with Black women who have student loan debt and how this has affected their futures.
In May, 1K Women Strong publicly announced its partnership with the American Civil Liberties Union (ALCU) to collect more than 50,000 signatures for an ongoing student loan debt campaign across the nation. titled, “Cancel Student Debt: Build Black Women’s Futures”. The campaign was created to urge the Biden administration to cancel up to $50,000 in efforts to alleviate student loan debt.