An excerpt from the Boston Globe -
For black students, a college degree means long-term debt
By Deirdre Fernandes
Jasmine Reyes’s college degree landed her a stable post-graduation job and opened up a wealth of learning opportunities, from an internship in Los Angeles to study abroad in the Netherlands.
But for Reyes, 23, that Emerson College degree came at a sapping financial and emotional cost: a near-constant worry each semester about being able to afford the tuition, guilt over her grandmother’s decision to apply early for Social Security to help pay for her education, and ultimately, the burden of $40,000 in student loans.
“There are a lot of people who think that because I’m African-American I got to go to college for free,” said Reyes, who graduated in 2016. “But I am in so much debt. I would still do it again. But it was extremely stressful.”
Recent research and data from the US Department of Education indicate that African-American students, like Reyes, are taking a greater financial risk than other groups in going to college, even as a degree has grown increasingly vital for workers hoping to survive in the modern economy. They typically start with a smaller economic cushion, are more likely to borrow, and, on average, earn less upon graduation.
As a result, instead of bridging the racial equity gap by opening the prospect of well-paying jobs, getting a degree can actually widen the gulf in wealth between black and white adults.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/11/25/for-black-students-college-degree-means-long-term-debt/Hw8lOO4637pZY80QcIxDZM/story.html?et_rid=606374700&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Colby College Honors a Former Slave
An excerpt from the Boston Globe -
At Colby College, an honor for a former slave
By Laura Krantz
WATERVILLE, Maine — At the elite college perched on a hill overlooking this former mill town, the buildings are named as you might expect.
The library honors the parents of a graduate. The theater is named for the 17th president. The tennis pavilion for generous donors to the school.
But now Colby College will have a building named after another sort of person entirely: a former slave who was the school janitor for 37 years starting right after the Civil War — a figure both beloved and disrespected by the college in his day.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/11/25/colby-college-honor-for-former-slave/BzFoklN3Gpw9flJvOnZtnJ/story.html?et_rid=606374700&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter
At Colby College, an honor for a former slave
By Laura Krantz
WATERVILLE, Maine — At the elite college perched on a hill overlooking this former mill town, the buildings are named as you might expect.
The library honors the parents of a graduate. The theater is named for the 17th president. The tennis pavilion for generous donors to the school.
But now Colby College will have a building named after another sort of person entirely: a former slave who was the school janitor for 37 years starting right after the Civil War — a figure both beloved and disrespected by the college in his day.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/11/25/colby-college-honor-for-former-slave/BzFoklN3Gpw9flJvOnZtnJ/story.html?et_rid=606374700&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter
Saturday, November 25, 2017
Black in Trump Country
An excerpt from Very Smart Brothas -
How to Survive in America When You’re Black and Your Hometown Is Donald Trump’s Base
By Raymar Hampshire
I grew up in Allen County, Ohio. I lived in the county seat of Lima and attended school in the village of Elida. The show Glee takes place in my hometown, and I have never watched a single episode of Glee, but I often use this fact to help orient people to where I grew up. I rarely visit my hometown outside of traveling there to spend time with my family during major holidays.
It feels honest and yet really vulnerable to admit this publicly. Facebook has become a window into the souls of so many people I grew up with, so much so that I often find myself unfriending them. The truth is that I have become a remarkably different person—and the place where I grew up feels like it has become a remarkably different place.
Today it seems as if the only time I bring up my hometown is when I’m having a conversation with someone about Donald Trump and we’re both shockingly/unshockingly lamenting his latest evil shenanigans. We might shake our heads thinking of his delusional supporters who are somehow able to look past it all.
These conversations happen almost daily. It’s in these conversations that I “rep” my hometown—mostly to prove that because I’m from a town of overwhelmingly white Trump supporters, I understand their delusions better than most.
https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/how-to-survive-in-america-when-you-re-black-and-your-ho-1819882549
How to Survive in America When You’re Black and Your Hometown Is Donald Trump’s Base
By Raymar Hampshire
I grew up in Allen County, Ohio. I lived in the county seat of Lima and attended school in the village of Elida. The show Glee takes place in my hometown, and I have never watched a single episode of Glee, but I often use this fact to help orient people to where I grew up. I rarely visit my hometown outside of traveling there to spend time with my family during major holidays.
It feels honest and yet really vulnerable to admit this publicly. Facebook has become a window into the souls of so many people I grew up with, so much so that I often find myself unfriending them. The truth is that I have become a remarkably different person—and the place where I grew up feels like it has become a remarkably different place.
Today it seems as if the only time I bring up my hometown is when I’m having a conversation with someone about Donald Trump and we’re both shockingly/unshockingly lamenting his latest evil shenanigans. We might shake our heads thinking of his delusional supporters who are somehow able to look past it all.
These conversations happen almost daily. It’s in these conversations that I “rep” my hometown—mostly to prove that because I’m from a town of overwhelmingly white Trump supporters, I understand their delusions better than most.
https://verysmartbrothas.theroot.com/how-to-survive-in-america-when-you-re-black-and-your-ho-1819882549
25 Blackest Sports Moments of 2017
An excerpt from the Undefeated -
The top 25 blackest sports moments of 2017
If you don’t understand why these moments are important, you might need more black friends
By Clifton Yates
Black Friday. The day when people decide that the only way they can make themselves feel better about whatever they just went through with their families on Thanksgiving is with a whole lot of retail therapy. It’s the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season, and according to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend an average of $967.13 each before the end of the year. That adds up to a cool $682 billion.
But forget all that. We black. So we’ll take this opportunity to reclaim our time and get back to using ham-handed puns for the culture. A point of clarification: There are a variety of items on this list. Some are groundbreaking accomplishments. Others are moments that made us laugh. A few are things that we might actually regret.
By the by, we’re doing this bad boy college football style. If you don’t understand why these moments are important, you might need more black friends.
https://theundefeated.com/features/the-top-25-blackest-sports-moments-of-2017/
The top 25 blackest sports moments of 2017
If you don’t understand why these moments are important, you might need more black friends
By Clifton Yates
Black Friday. The day when people decide that the only way they can make themselves feel better about whatever they just went through with their families on Thanksgiving is with a whole lot of retail therapy. It’s the unofficial kickoff of the holiday shopping season, and according to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expected to spend an average of $967.13 each before the end of the year. That adds up to a cool $682 billion.
But forget all that. We black. So we’ll take this opportunity to reclaim our time and get back to using ham-handed puns for the culture. A point of clarification: There are a variety of items on this list. Some are groundbreaking accomplishments. Others are moments that made us laugh. A few are things that we might actually regret.
By the by, we’re doing this bad boy college football style. If you don’t understand why these moments are important, you might need more black friends.
https://theundefeated.com/features/the-top-25-blackest-sports-moments-of-2017/
Friday, November 24, 2017
Thursday, November 23, 2017
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