Jessica Stubbs | Staff Writer

Now, I know a few of us have had one of those days where we are zoned out in class thinking ‘why am I here?’, but I can assure you that there’s a purpose. Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

In recent years, there have been significant leaps and bounds in education in regards to the African American community. Education has always been a pillar of success in the community, but now we have officially made history.

 African American women are the most educated by gender and race. In a study by the U.S. Department of Education between the years of 1999-2000 and 2009-2010 the number of women earning bachelor’s degrees remained between 57 and 58 percent and from 2009-2010 Black females earned 68 percent of associate’s degrees, 66 percent of bachelor’s degrees, 71 percent of master’s degrees, and 65 percent of all doctoral degrees awarded to Black students.

The number of associate’s degrees awarded to black females increased by 89 percent, bachelor’s degrees increased by 53 percent, master’s degrees increased by 109 percent, and doctoral degrees increased by 47 percent.

Overall, this data shows that women are most educated by gender and race. Across the board, Black women earned more degrees than their counterparts (white women, Hispanic men, Black men, Hispanic women, etc.).  As reported by the 2011 U.S. Census Bureau, the college enrollment rate for Black females is 9.7 percent. This may not sound like a lot, but considering that Hispanic men had the lowest enrollment rate of 5.9 percent, we are making progress as a people whose history is based on fighting for equality.