Rooted in the belief that families needed cash rather than another program, the Magnolia Mother’s Trust began in 2018 with a small pilot for 20 moms. Today, it is the nation’s longest-running guaranteed income project, challenging narratives of deservedness and supporting over 400 mothers.
Aisha Nyandoro is the CEO of Springboard to Opportunities and founder of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. Her Mississippi nonprofit utilizes a “radically resident-driven” approach to combat generational poverty for working mothers. This pioneering effort has sparked a broader movement in the country, reshaping conversations on agency, trust, and deservedness.
Nyandoro is dedicated to reshaping gendered and racialized narratives on poverty. She takes a “radically resident-driven” approach, drawing inspiration from a family legacy dedicated to amplifying silenced voices. “Guaranteed income programs have the potential to break the bonds of intergenerational poverty- particularly for Black Americans- providing resources to help families lead their best lives, thereby laying the groundwork for restoring dignity and moving our country toward economic and racial justice,” Nyandoro adds.
The inaugural University of Phoenix and Motherly Mothers Overcome More (or M.O.M.) report proves that while lower-income mothers exhibit a similar desire for career growth as middle- and higher income tiers, they often face significant hurdles that stymie career progression. Those hurdles include a raft of external pressures, like daily financial burdens, that middle- and higher-income tiers don’t experience as acutely. At the same time, the study reveals that lower-income moms lack important support, such as role models to emulate or seek out for mentoring. They also lack relative job stability and have professions less likely to form a career or vocational calling.
As a wife and mother of two sons, Nyandoro echoes these findings and emphasizes the importance of providing impacted women with spaces to share their narratives, crucial in changing the conversation and challenging existing systems. “Anytime I am giving a talk, I hope my messages convey how much I love community. The main theme I hope people walk away with is how building systems around trust, agency, dignity, and joy will benefit all of us, not just the most impoverished,” explains Nyandoro.
Nyandoro, a third-generation advocate, traces her commitment to social issues back to her upbringing. “Growing up, my dining table was more like a round table; each sitting was a forum where minds met to discuss social issues. Although the problems and challenges faced by the community were discussed in detail, the conversation did not end there. The ultimate goal was to create solutions, and solutions could not be developed without those impacted being at the helm. These early dinner conversations helped me develop a deep love for community and people, which ultimately led to me helping to found Springboard To Opportunities and develop The Magnolia Mother’s Trust.”
Nyandoro envisions scaling the success of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust nationally for more working mothers. Testifying on Capitol Hill (sharing the success of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust), she calls for reforms to the safety net, advocating for direct cash interventions to end poverty. “This could be in the form of a guaranteed income, a permanent child tax credit, and/or less bureaucracy and red tape when families are seeking to access various vouchers,” Nyandoro explains.
Nyandoro’s visionary approach goes beyond statistical findings, echoing the sentiments of lower-income mothers who face unique challenges in career progression due to financial burdens and a lack of crucial support. Her work goes beyond statistics and reports; it transforms lives, one mother at a time.
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