Catch Up Boys
It’s August 16, 2020 and Serenity Thomas is the billionth girl graduating from college. She got her degree in African American Studies from Howard University in Washington, D.C. This comes at no surprise. The number of girls around the world getting degrees has gone up feverishly since the 1970's. Professor Alice Wright has been studying this trend for over three decades. She says “in 1970 globally women started graduating from College on a 1:2 ratio to men. But by the 80's it was 1:1, by the 90's 2:1, and by the Millennium women had the men by 3:1.
In an interview with Serenity Thomas in her hometown of Chicago, IL, I ask her does she consider herself special or different from other girls who have come before her? She says, “I never would think that way because we all had a common goal and that is to be successful in whatever we do. Do I consider this an accomplishment? No, I see it as stepping stone to get where I need to go in life. “ She also says as a young girl the importance of education was instilled in her by her family especially her Aunt Tamika. As for her comments about boys getting left behind she says, "I think that boys will catch up, that’s why I got to keep going.”
“And catch up they will," Dr. William Wright says. While it is true women are passing the guys up in getting degrees, they have been in trade school, starting Companies and getting in more professional sports. But there has been a shift in the past five years. More men are going back to school not just locally, globally as well. So girls you better watch out.
By Tamika Jackson
