David Dennis Jr., a well-known author and journalist, is taking a resolute stance against paying back his student loans, totaling over $100,000. His decision not to make good on this debt is rooted in a complex journey that reflects the student debt crisis in the U.S.

In 2008, Dennis graduated and pursued graduate school, despite the financial strain it would impose. He recalls being encouraged to attend prestigious institutions, believing the financial aspect would somehow resolve itself.

He selected the master’s program at Northwestern, a decision that came with more than $70,000 in student loan debt. Over the years, compounded interest ballooned the debt past $100,000. Meanwhile, his chosen industry–journalism– was seeming a downturn, meaning a high-paying job to pay off the debt was not a sure thing.

“Nobody was hiring, and I didn’t know what to do with my life. So I figured I’d wait out the financial collapse in grad school. I knew I’d have to take tens of thousands of dollars in loans to attend. It was a cost I thought I was willing to bear. I was trying to find a path to the career I wanted,” Dennis, now a senior writer at Andscape and an American Mosaic Journalism Prize recipient, recalls in Andscape. He is also the author of the book “The Movement Made Us.”

The racial disparities in student loan debt also compounded matters for the Black journalist. Now with his stance, Dennis is emphasizing that student loan forgiveness plans must address these disparities and help bridge the equity gap.

The decision to sign for the student loan, Dennis says was his choice, but he knows his means to pay is limited.

“I’ll never live down my decision. And I’ll likely never pay those loans back,” he writes.

One of the things President Joe Biden promised federal student loan forgiveness initiatives to alleviate the unsustainable debt many face post-education, The Associated Press reports. However, Dennis argues that the current plans don’t adequately address the challenges faced by marginalized communities, especially Black families.

“For the past 15 years, I’ve been faced with a bill that I often could not pay. And when I could pay some of it, the amount would be so inconsequential that it wouldn’t stop interest from accruing. I’ve been on the phone and begged collectors plenty of times to just let me pay what I could every month, only for them to tell me that it wouldn’t stop me from going into default unless I paid the entire monthly balance,” Says Dennis.

But there are consequences to not paying off the debt. If you default on your student loan, that status will be reported to national credit reporting agencies. This reporting may damage your credit rating and future borrowing ability, according to the website for Federal Student Aid, which falls under the U.S. Department of Education. Also, the government can collect on your loans by taking funds from your wages, tax refunds, and other government payments.

David Dennis Jr., Davidson College, https://www.davidson.edu/news/2020/06/09/something-say-david-dennis-jr-emerges-powerful-voice-american-culture