The Magnolia Mother's Trust

Poverty disruptor Aisha Nyandoro is the Chief Executive Officer of Springboard To Opportunities which houses the Magnolia Mother’s Trust project in Jackson, Mississippi. The Magnolia Mother's Trust is this nation's first guaranteed income project centered in a racial and gender equity frame. In her work Aisha uses a “radically resident-driven” approach designed to improve quality of life and end the generational poverty trajectory. She is a storyteller whose work and words have been featured in The New York Times, Essence, CNN, MSNBC, and Fast Company. She is a trailblazer and dream chaser who’s been recognized with fellowships at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network and Ascend at the Aspen Institute.

The Magnolia Mother’s Trust is the first guaranteed income initiative that  focuses on Black women living in deep poverty in affordable housing in the United States. Last year, Springboard to Opportunities, was able to give 20 Black mothers living in subsidized housing $1,000 every month for 12 months no strings attached.  This year we have expanded to 110 women. We are planning for 300 women next year. We are testing what would happen if we empowered Black women to be the authors of their own lives, with the understanding that they, and they alone, know what their families need. We are exploring what happens when institutional power and resources were used in the service of Black women and not for their confinement and destruction. And although the initial pilot was small, the findings have been mighty.  Debt was repaid (over $10,000), lives were changed, conversations expanded and joy was manifested. 

Racial and gender wealth inequities are key issues of our time. Due to intentional economic policies and practices put forth by those in power, economic stratification among gender and racial lines have reached epic heights. Today, about 160,000 U.S. households own more wealth than the poorest 90 percent combined, the highest concentration of wealth since 1962.

Without bold, visionary action and policies to address this issue, the chasm between those who are economically secure and those who are not - mainly Black, Brown and Native American communities and women - will continue to grow, threatening our American values of freedom, dignity and security for all.

In the run up to the 2020 presidential elections, many progressive nominees took up racial wealth inequities as a key issue to address in their campaigns.  One such idea is a government-sponsored cash benefit program, often referred to as Guaranteed Income. Guaranteed Income – a no strings attached direct cash benefit from the - is a model to provide people with a periodic cash payment, delivered unconditionally, regardless of income, resources or employment status.

The Magnolia Mother's Trust (MMT) is the first guaranteed income pilot utilizing a gender and equity lenses. The project provides Black mothers who reside in affordable housing, an additional $1,000 per month income, no strings attached for 12 months. In addition to the financial support, mothers are offered support aimed at providing respite, peer support (social capital) and external support. 

The evaluation and research surrounding this project is intended to both test the benefits of offering very low-income families a guaranteed income while also showing the shortfalls and issues surrounding a punitive, voucher-based welfare system. Although in its second year, the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, the work has been recognized for the long reaching policy implications.  Early lessons learned are being used by the Ascend at the Aspen Institute’s Family Prosperity Innovation Community (Family Prosperity) to inform policies regarding work requirements and needs of low income families within the workforce; by divorcing the receipt of benefits from work, individuals have greater autonomy to choose work arrangements that meet their needs and flexibility to devote time away from paid employment to unpaid employment such as caregiving without sacrificing their financial wellbeing. 

The Magnolia Mother's Trusts impacts extremely low-income women that live in federally subsidized affordable housing; consisting of extremely low-income individuals, living 200% below the poverty index, in Jackson, MS. The project focuses on people that reside in federally subsidized housing communities (4 apartment complexes) served by Springboard To Opportunities. Additionally, the work examines the impact of racial and gender inequalities as it relates to social and economic mobility by having a population that is 100% African American female. 

Springboard implements a person-centered, participant-leadership ethos and set of practices when developing and implementing community programming. 

Springboard’s model is guided by its radically resident driven approach. Through this method of direct resident engagement, the organization places families at the heart of all programs and partnerships. Springboard works to engage residents, in participatory planning, transparent dialogue, and resident organizing, approaches recognized as best practices in community engagement. The Magnolia Mother's Trust was born out of direct conversations with residents; these very residents were instrumental in the project's initial design and implementation. 

Strategically using lessons learned from programming Springboard has been working to elevate policy conversations regarding the needs of low-income families in their pursuant of social and economic mobility. Ensuring that we are creating opportunities to have the larger conversations about the policies that exist which create economic cliffs making it difficult for families that live in extreme poverty to participate in social and economic mobility are equally as important as the programs in which Springboard provides directly to its families.  

Currently, the execution of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust is also creating opportunities to re-examine various components of the social safety net; particularly for extremely low-income families that live in federally subsidized affordable housing. Taken collectively these efforts are helping to advance and accelerate opportunities for the families Springboard served by Springboard but for the seven million individuals living in affordable housing. The pilots and demonstrations in which Springboard participates are in service to a larger agenda – how do we create systems aligned to the needs of those most impacted. 

I am a third generation descendent of a family that is dedicated to advocacy.  While growing up, dinner conversations were not your average run-of-the-mill what’s going on at work or frivolous gossip.  The dining table was more like a round table and each sitting was a forum where minds met to discuss racial, political, educational and social issues.  These sessions dealt with history's effect on present circumstances; the educators providing the lesson were former civil rights activists, social workers, and political enthusiasts - my grandmother, mother, and aunts.  Although the problems and challenges faced by the community were heavily discussed, they were not harped upon.  The ultimate point of these exchanges was to develop community driven solutions.

My love for community has grown into a deeper desire to better understand communities, systems, and policies. For over 20 years I have sought educational and career opportunities to assist me in my efforts. These experiences have afforded me a firsthand view of the impact of poverty and allowed me an opportunity to test ideas and strategies aimed at improving conditions in impoverished communities. The Magnolia Mother's Trust combines my love for community driven solutions and policy to effect long term systemic change. 

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I am a black woman in Mississippi. Leading a small organization (less than $2 million annual budget). I effectively raised money to give to single poor black women without strings attached prior to it becoming a daily topic in the news cycle. 

(info from FL speech)

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