"We have depressed ourselves into a mindset in which $30,000 in debt is acceptable for a degree."

“We have depressed ourselves into a mindset in which $30,000 in debt is acceptable for a degree.”

“Education is supposed to be the great equalizer in America."

"You can’t talk about student debt without talking about the Great Recession."

"I think Greta has been able to speak truth to power in a way that has resonated with a lot of young people who are frustrated, who have lived their whole lives seeing inaction on climate change."

“There’s a generational fairness issue."

“It doesn’t address a lot of the co-pollutants that are also produced in fossil fuel combustion that have public health impacts.”

“It’s a lot of debt out there. But that debt and the burden of that debt is not necessarily being felt equally. It’s extremely difficult for borrowers of color in particular."

The future of our planet demands that we recognize our historic inequities and prioritize those who have been most impacted by climate change throughout history.

To fairly evaluate any higher education reform proposal, we must understand the ways that these dual burdens—less wealth and more debt—lead to worse outcomes for Black students than white students.