Student Debt Week of Action Feb 27 – March 2

By Chris Hicks, National SLAP Coordinator

Martin Luther King, Jr. asked the question: “Where do we go from here: chaos or community?” That question still rings true today, especially for any college student or recent graduate.

The Spring of Discontent is here – students, community members, and workers are standing across the country and saying: We want our community to be a healthy one, free of poverty and violence. One trillion dollars in student debt speaks to the chaos of values our society is facing and we need you to stand up and demand from the criminals robbing us of our future that they don’t continue to do so.

Will you stand with SLAP and USSA this February 27th – March 2nd and demand that with us?

Dr. Cornel West joined us this weekend to talk about how this problem isn’t limited to just one generation or one type of student. “It’s a historic moment of democratic awakening among young brothers and sisters of all colors, cultures, civilizations, and sexual orientation to be a part of this magnificent wave of activism.”

If you want to participate in SLAP and USSA’s Student Debt Week of Action, click here to sign up.

While every campus will be putting together their own program for the week of action, we wanted to make sure that everyone has some ideas of ways to participate and build a healthy and vibrant student movement.

On Monday: National Fax-in day to Albert Lord, Sallie Mae’s CEO, asking for a meeting with students from around the country that will be visiting their DC office. We will also continue to collect signatures for our petition, a banner that students are uniting behind.

On Tuesday: Students will escalate on their campus with banner drops, collect personal testimonies of students struggling with debt, track who their school banks with, and continue to fax-in to Albert Lord.

On Wednesday: Coordinated national showing of “Default: The Student Loan Documentary” on college campuses to raise awareness of the growing issue.

On Thursday: SLAP students will be leading and participating in walk-outs and letter deliveries to corporate and governmental targets in solidarity with the March 1 National Day of Action For Education, including Sallie Mae and the Department of Education.

On Friday: Based on where students are regionally at there will be lobby visits to Congress members asking for regulations to be put on student loan lenders, an increase to student aid, and to reduce the rate of federal loans.

Be a part of this larger movement, I’ll be ready to take action with you.