The Economic Gap Between First Generation Students and their Peers Continues to Widen

AKRON, OHIO, UNITED STATES, November 2, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- November 8th is National First Generation College Student Day and universities nationwide will be celebrating their students success. As we celebrate, it is critical to remember that Black first generation college students and young professionals are suffering more in their academics and career placement than their peers due to Covid; and they will suffer even more AFTER Covid.

First generation students continue to be disproportionally disadvantaged in completing their degree and finding a career after graduation. Forty-one percent of African American college students are first generation (Postsecondary National Policy Institute) and more than 50% of first generation students are from a low-income family. As news and media headlines have stated, poor Blacks were most adversely affected by the pandemic. Unemployment rates are 14.2% for Whites during Covid and 16.7% for Blacks (Educational Policy Institute). According to MSNBC, Whites recover faster from a recession than Blacks; therefore, it is critical that universities put extra measures in place to support their Black first generation students in obtaining employment after graduation. Black first generation students are less likely to get hired than their peers, and once employed, they earn 17% less than non-first generation young professionals (EAB).
Dr. Tameka Ellington is CEO/Founder of the First Generation Revolutionaries movement and author of Be the GOAT: A Career Readiness Manual for First Generation Students and Young Professionals. She would like to discuss 3 ways universities can celebrate their Black first gen students AND give them an advantage in their field.

Dr. Tameka is a Professional Development Strategist, Educator and Personal Growth Expert and has been working with first generation students for more than a decade. Being first generation herself, she is a passionate advocate for the enrichment of first generation student and young professionals. First Generation Revolutionaries is a movement that provides professional development, spiritual fulfillment and networking opportunities for people who are first generation. Dr. Tameka works with universities and organizations to provide critical skills students and young professionals need.




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Tameka N Ellington
First Generation Revolutionaries
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