Student Loan Debt Is a Gender Issue, Especially for Women of Color

Student Loan Debt Is a Gender Issue, Especially for Women of Color
4/14/2022 by Morgan Johnson and Emily Escobar



Former Ohio state Senator and current candidate Nina Turner speaks near the U.S. Department of Education in D.C. on April 4, 2022, as organizers demand full student debt cancellation. (Leigh Vogel / Getty Images for MoveOn & Debt Collective)

Associate director of programs Morgan Johnson and campaigns and organizing associate Emily Escobar of the United State of Women share their student loan debt stories and call for the cancellation of student debt as an investment in women.

Johnson: For Black Women Like Me, This Is My Reality

My dream was to become a public servant, so I decided to get my bachelor’s degree in government and politics. But upon my graduation, I realized there was a glaring lack of representation; Black women were not in positions of power in public service. I asked around, spoke with mentors and realized that furthering my education would provide me with important skills and grant me the credibility I would need to succeed. To afford my graduate degree, I had to take out loans. At the time it seemed a small but necessary risk that would bring me one step closer to achieving my dream. In May 2019, I graduated with a master’s in public policy. I was $40,000 in debt. As a graduate student, I faced institutional racism and microaggressions from peers and faculty who questioned my ability. Yet, watching Judge Jackson’s confirmation hearing was a triggering reminder that as a Black woman, I can be the best for a job, but still be met with doubt steeped in misogyny and racism.


The professional and academic reality for Black women leads to very real economic disadvantages. For Black women like me, this is my reality. Even though Black women’s rate of college-level education has increased at a faster pace than white men’s, the wage gap has not substantially improved on the same scale. The gender earnings ratio between Black women and white men with a Bachelor’s degree is 62.5 percent. Simply put, Black women carry the most student loan debt of any racial or ethnic group, yet we do not make enough money to pay off our loans.

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Join us in the fight for student debt cancellation by signing our petition calling on President Biden to fulfill his promise to cancel student debt. You can also wear your call for student loan cancellation on your sleeve. Shop our new collection in collaboration with Social Goods and snag a new baseball hat, tote or sticker pack. Twenty-five percent of proceeds are donated to the United State of Women. United State of Women aims to create a world in which all women and marginalized genders can thrive. Through education, community and action, USOW amplifies issues at the intersection of gender and racial justice and galvanizes organizations, public figures and everyday feminists of all genders to drive policy and culture change. Learn more here (https://usow.org/.

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