Raul Fernandez Speaks At Rally With Zero Debt Massachusetts

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline Select Board Vice-Chair and current State Representative candidate Raul Fernandez spoke Monday at a rally at the State House hosted by Zero Debt Massachusetts, calling on President Joe Biden to cancel student loan debt.

Zero Debt Massachusetts’ rally is one of many across the country as advocates call on Biden to forgive student loan debt before payments are set to resume on May 1st.

“A debt free future is an investment in young people. We are sold this idea that our degrees are a guarantee of financial security, but so many among us leave higher education saddled with debt for the rest of our lives,” Fernandez said. “I’m someone with significant student debt, and before payments were paused, it was crippling. Since then, I’ve been able to save for my future and invest in my family. This pause on payments has given us a window into what life could be. No one should be forced into tens of thousands of dollars in debt because they want an education.”

“Women and people of color hold a disproportionate share of the burden of student loan debt, Fernandez continued in a statement after the rally. "Canceling student debt is a racial justice issue, it’s an economic justice issue, and it’s a gender justice issue. Allowing payments to resume with no action would represent a glaring failure of President Biden’s leadership.”

Fernandez was joined at Zero Debt Massachusetts’ rally by Boston City Councilor At-Large Julia Mejia, State Representative Liz Miranda, and representatives from statewide and local education and economic justice organizations.