A groundbreaking series in Ms., Front and Center offers first-person accounts of Black women living in extreme poverty, who are taking part in the Magnolia Mother’s Trust which gives recipients a guaranteed income of $1,000 per month for 12 months. In Front and Center, these mothers speak on their struggles, their children, their work, their relationships, and their dreams for the future, and how a federal guaranteed income program could change their lives.
Putting Poor Black Mothers Front and Center
2021
by AISHA NYANDORO and KATHY SPILLAR
Almost 50 years after its founding, Ms. is continuing its commitment to inclusive feminism by featuring pieces written by the women of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. Hear first-hand about their struggles, their children, their work, their relationships and their dreams for the future.
Why Black Women Must Remain Front and Center
2022
by AISHA NYANDORO and KATHY SPILLAR
From the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade, to the cruelty of Mississippi state legislators who refuse to expand postpartum Medicaid access, the disregard displayed toward Black women shows us that our work here is not done.
Moms Share How Guaranteed Income Changed Their Lives
2023
Back for its third year, Front and Center is a groundbreaking Ms. series that offers first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income.
The Magnolia Mother’s Trust (MMT) first launched in 2018 and is now in its fifth cohort, making it the longest-run guaranteed income program in the country. It’s also the first program that specifically targets low-income Black mothers, working with over 400 families to date. The initiative demonstrates how unrestricted cash could be a crucial component of the social safety net provided by the federal government. Below, MMT moms share their lived experiences of poverty, the pandemic and the life-changing effects of receiving monthly guaranteed income payments.
