May 9, 2025
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
AframNews.com
Vol.30, Issue 16
FREE
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
JUNETEENTH 160 YEARS LATER By: Ashley Small
DRESSED FOR SUCCESS... BUT GOING NOWHERE! By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Every year, more than 300,000 Black students in America graduate college, hoping to walk into opportunity. But as diplomas are handed out, many find that the system has handed them debt, limited job prospects, and little financial knowledge to navigate adulthood. In 2025, it’s becoming clear: Black students aren’t just graduating underprepared for the job market — they’re also under-equipped to make a living. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Black students represent about 14% of all U.S. undergraduate enrollment. Despite this achievement, systemic gaps persist well beyond graduation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate for Black college graduates aged 22 to 27 is 10.6%, compared to 5.4% for white
graduates in the same age group. Even among those employed, many Black grads are underemployed — working jobs that do not require a degree. These disparities highlight a structural issue: higher education is preparing students to graduate, but not to financially thrive. Critical life skills like financial literacy, investing, entrepreneurship, and credit management are rarely part of standard college curricula. Many students leave with thousands in debt and little understanding of how to manage it — or how to build wealth. A 2016 report from the Brookings Institution found that Black graduates owed $52,726 in student debt on average, compared to $28,006 for white graduates. Four years after graduation, 48% of Black graduates owed more than they initially borrowed, while only 17% of white graduates did. These figures remain Success on pg. 3
The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum (BSNM) proudly announces Juneteenth @160: U.S. Colored Troops’ Call to Freedom | Our Journey to Progress, a dynamic three-day community celebration honoring the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth and the enduring legacy of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) and how they influenced the Buffalo Soldiers. Held from June 19–21, 2025, Juneteenth @160 offers a unique blend of art, history, education, and cultural experience, rooted in themes of resilience, resistance, and the continuing journey toward Black liberation in America. “Juneteenth @160 is a cultural reckoning and a tribute to the generations of Black soldiers who fought to become citizens under the protection of the US Constitution. These were formerly enslaved individuals who have fought for freedom, selfdetermination, and dignity as human beings,” said Desmond Bertrand-Pitts, CEO of BSNM. “We are honored to create a space for learning, reflection, and belonging.” The USCT played a vital role for freedmen and the formerly enslaved to assert their rights as full American citizens and the realization of Juneteenth. Comprising over 180,000 Black soldiers, the USCT fought for the Union during the Civil War and was instrumental in occupying Read more at Confederate territories to enforce the aframnews.com