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Rally supporting student debt cancellation to take place outside Supreme Court

Crystal Graham
student loan relief
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A coalition of advocacy organizations will host the People’s Rally for Student Debt Cancellation, set to take place in front of the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 28 from 8 a.m. to noon.

The rally is planned for the day the Court will hear oral arguments in two cases challenging the Biden Administration’s student debt cancellation program.

Legal experts from the Student Borrower Protection Center, National Consumer Law Center and Democracy Forward plan to attend the hearings.

This rally comes after the U.S. Supreme Court in December decided to hear two cases challenging the legality of the Biden Administration’s student loan cancellation program, which is currently blocked. Last month, a broad coalition convened to support the Administration and highlight the program’s positive impact, lack of legal standing by its opponents, and the legality of student debt cancellation – filing over a dozen amici curiae briefs with the Supreme Court in support of cancellation.

The U.S. Supreme Court is located at 1 First St. NE in Washington, D.C.

Speakers include:

  • Aissa Canchola Bañez, Senior Advisor for Policy and Strategy, SBPC
  • Becky Pringle, President, National Education Association
  • Jaylon Herbin, Director of Federal Campaigns, Center for Responsible Lending
  • Kristin McGuire, Executive Director, Young Invincibles
  • Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President & CEO, Hip Hop Caucus
  • Mary Kay Henry, President, Service Employees International Union
  • Melissa Byrne, We the 45
  • Natalia Abrams, President & Founder, Student Debt Crisis Center
  • Rakim Brooks, President, Alliance for Justice
  • Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers
  • Rhana Epting, Executive Director, MoveOn
  • Skye Perryman, President and CEO, Democracy Forward
  • Wisdom Cole, National Director, NAACP Youth & College Division
  • Mayor Quinton Lucas, City of Kansas City, Missouri
  • Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY)
  • Senator Elizabeth Warren (MA)
  • Senator Bob Menendez (NJ)
  • Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07)
  • Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)
  • Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-05)
  • Congressman Maxwell Frost (FL-10)

Co-sponsors of the rally include Young Invincibles, Student Borrower Protection Center, Student Debt Crisis Center, NAACP, Alliance for Justice, American Federation of Teachers, Center for Responsible Lending, Debt Collective, Demand Justice, Dream Defenders, Future Coalition, Hip Hop Caucus, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, March On, MoveOn, National Consumer Law Center, National Council of Jewish Women, Inc., National Education Association (NEA), National Urban League, New Georgia Project, NextGen America, Pizza to the Polls, Rise, Service Employees International Union , We The 45 Million, 1000 Women Strong and more.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.