Friend –

Over 44 million Americans carry more than $1.7 trillion of student debt – preventing people from buying homes, starting businesses, saving for retirement, or even starting families.

And no one is as burdened by student loan debt as Black people, Black women in particular. This is a direct result of systemic racism.

Addressing this growing crisis will be absolutely crucial to economic justice and closing the racial wealth gap in this country. That's why the ACLU is calling on the Biden administration to cancel up to $50,000 of student debt per eligible borrower by the end of 2021 – and you can join us by signing our petition today.

ACLU Supporter, canceling student debt is a civil liberties priority. Higher education has long been viewed as the path to getting a job and achieving economic prosperity – but centuries of structural racism and explicit governmental discrimination has created unjust barriers in access for Black communities.

Black families have far less generational wealth to draw on to pay for college than white families – and are faced with job discrimination and lower wages even after graduating college. As a result, Black families are more likely to take on student loans and to struggle with repayment. In fact, for every dollar a white student borrows, Black students must borrow $1.50 for the same degree. And two decades after starting school, Black borrowers on average still owed 95 percent of their student debt while white borrowers on average had paid off 94 percent of theirs.

The American Dream simply costs more for most Black families.

Canceling student debt can secure financial stability and economic mobility for Black, Latinx, and other communities of color who are disproportionately burdened by the debt crisis. It will also help to close the racial wealth gap by over 20 percent.

This is a common-sense solution that could help millions and the time to act is now: Sign the petition and urge President Biden to cancel $50,000 in student debt per borrower.

Thank you for taking action,

Rakim Brooks
Pronouns: He, him, his
Senior Campaign Strategist & Systemic Equality Campaign Manager, ACLU