Please Share! More info on the Rally for Jobs and Student Loan Forgiveness, Oct 17 in Philly

The other day I posted a link to a flyer for this event. This press release, which just showed up in my e-mail a minute ago, has more detailed information.

I can’t be emphatic enough about this: if you’re a student who takes loans; if you’re related to somebody who takes loans; if you’ve graduated and you’re struggling with loans; if you’re angry at a financial system that profits insanely off the cultural pressure put on you to go to college even if you can’t afford it–you need to consider attending this rally.

Press Release

Press Contact:  Jamila Wilson 504-251-9036; Berta Joubert-Ceci 267-257-7742

Rally for Jobs & Student Debt Forgiveness: 11am, Monday, October 17, starting on West Side of City Hall

Students and community members to join with P.E.A.C.E (Philadelphia Economic Advancement CollectivE) to march and demand a student loan debt bailout due to the current high unemployment crisis. Student loan debt has increased by over 500% since 1999; the US Dept. of Education expects student loan debt to exceed 1 trillion dollars by next year.

Concerned students and citizens joining the P.E.A.C.E campaign are demanding student loan debt forgiveness. The October 17 march begins at City Hall at 11am and will make specific stops at the Philadelphia’s Stock Exchange, the US Dept. of Education mid-Atlantic regional office, and the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center.  One of the march organizers, Jamila K Wilson shared, “The intention of this march is to bring awareness to the public on how all these systems feed into the enormous debt students and recent graduates have accumulated and why they are unable to pay due to unemployment and underemployment.”

Unemployment amongst young people, 20-29,  in Philadelphia is at 19.4%, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer article posted on Sept.25, 2011.  National Black teen unemployment is 46.5% and is 35.4% for Latinos.  For Black and Latin youth, the average Black person in this city lives in a neighborhood with a 24.8 percent poverty rate, compared to 8.4 percent for whites. The Latino/a community has an average poverty rate of 25.4 per cent and Asians have a 13.4 per cent poverty rate.

The PEACE Campaign, a special committee of concerned citizens, seeks to bring awareness to these most pressing issues effecting millions and demand that our government does more to protect and bail out the people.

The PEACE Campaign can be contacted via email atPEACE@peoplesmail.net or via Facebook at P.E.A.C.E.