Imagine being 17 and a senior in high school, knowing plenty of issues are on the ballot in this year’s presidential election — but you’re still weeks or months away from being old enough to head to the ballot box to choose between Vice President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. That’s the reality for three New York City students who told Word In Black their thoughts on the election and what’s at stake.
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Two big education issues — the existence of the Department of Education and student loan forgiveness — are likely to affect Black K-12 students. Harris wants to keep the department and supports loan forgiveness, while Trump wants to put both on the chopping block. Teachers, education policymakers, and representatives from the nation’s unions have shared their opinions on which candidate is more likely to help —or harm — Black educators and students.
But beyond that, it should be no surprise that students also have very strong thoughts and opinions on what’s at stake as far as education. Some districts are banning wearing your natural hair, while others are banning books. Still others are slashing budgets that make field trips and extracurricular activities impossible. And beyond education, reproductive freedom, concerns about policing, and the legalization of marijuana are just some of the issues these teens know will affect their lives and their friends, family members, and community.
Aissatou Dia
Uncommon Charter High School
Aissatou Dia tells Word In Black the president should be someone who pays attention to what impacts the lives of young people. Reproductive freedom is the first thing that comes to mind.
“I believe that I have the right and I’m entitled to my own choices with my body, and my choices for my education as well,” Dia says. “Donald Trump is trying to make sure that they cut funds from the educational system, which is very devastating because I feel like education is important for the young youth, especially for us to grow and especially for us to be changed.”
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She also worries about “global warming, pollution, other taxes on food and items for day-to-day lives” — issues that impact families like hers, as well as other families struggling to make ends meet.
In addition, the execution of Marcellus Williams in late September deeply affected Dia. Williams “died because someone lied on his name, and he still was executed even though he didn’t do it while Donald Trump is a felon who’s running for president,” she says.
As far as education, expanding access to high-quality early childhood programs “that can set a strong foundation for children,” support for instructional materials that reflect diverse histories and cultures, increasing access to student mental health services, and increasing funding for up-to-date school facilities and technology are also important to Dia.
Shania Benjamin
Brooklyn LAB
Shania Benjamin wants to see the teacher shortage addressed and wants more career readiness tools and pipelines into the professional world for Black students.
She’d like elected officials to create — or fund — initiatives that “provide more structure for setting us up for the real world.”
“It would set us up for success because, oftentimes, Black students like myself aren’t getting the opportunities that other races are getting,” Benjamin says. “So if we had access to more internships, access to more knowledge, access to more counseling when it comes to life after high school, it would be beneficial and actually help us out in the real world.”
Benjamin says while the upcoming election is a bit unnerving to folks she’s still “very optimistic.”
“This is a time of action, this is a time to take charge,” Benjamin says.
Joshua Smith
Brooklyn LAB
Joshua Smith says he worries not just about the potential changes in K-12 education that a Trump presidency could bring, but also about the potential morale and values shift that’ll trickle down to people.
“Trump being elected again will cause a social recession within our community, which we can see within Project 2025, and even just based on his chosen vice president, JD Vance,” Smith says. “I am really scared because if he’s actually elected again, I don’t see any way we can recover from it in this decade.”
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