Really, the potential for, first of all, any college graduate today is enormously good. These are good times for anyone with a college degree today, particularly African Americans. With a college degree today, you really breach the unemployment rate.

In this remark, Alexis Herman emphasizes the labor-market advantage conferred by higher education, framing a college degree as a powerful buffer against unemployment. The statement also reflects a late-20th-century policy optimism that expanding educational attainment—especially among African Americans—could translate into tangible economic mobility and narrower employment gaps. By stressing that “these are good times,” she implies a favorable macroeconomic moment in which credentials are particularly rewarded. The phrasing suggests a pragmatic, opportunity-focused message: while structural inequities persist, education is presented as a lever that measurably improves job prospects and resilience in the workforce.