Rep. Pressley: ‘The Student Debt Crisis Has Always Been a Racial and Economic Justice Issue’

EXCERPT:

PRESSLEY: “We have a record number of House members supporting us in this effort. This is evidence that momentum is on our side. The American people are on our side and the movement is on our side. Let me be clear. The student debt crisis has always been a racial and economic justice issue, but for too long, the narrative has excluded black and Latinx communities, and the ways in which this debt has exacerbated deeply entrenched racial and economic inequities in our nation. These disparities didn’t just magically occur. They are the consequences of generations of systemic racism, discrimination, and what I call, policy violence that has systemically denied black and Latinx families the opportunity to build wealth, forcing our families to take on greater rates of student debt for the chance at the same degree as our white counterparts. This pandemic has made it all but impossible to ignore the fact that we can and we must take bold action to address the inequities and disparities in our country and provide much needed relief to our communities.”