This Basic Income Program Will Give $1,000 a Month to Black Mothers
Magnolia Mother’s Trust will begin as a pilot program in Jackson, Mississippi, with 15 women, and aims to lift black mothers out of poverty
By Eillie Anzilotti
I n America, black women are disproportionately likely to live in poverty. While the official poverty rate in the U.S. hovers around 12%, it increases to around 21% when you factor in gender and race. Motherhood, and the exorbitant costs of raising a child in America, further compound the issue.
A new year-long basic income pilot launching in December in Jackson, Mississippi, aims to address the wealth disparities around race, gender, and motherhood by equipping black mothers with $1,000 a month. The pilot, called Magnolia Mother’s Trust, will launch with 15 women receiving the stipend. Aisha Nyandoro, the CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, a Jackson-based nonprofit leading the program, aims to eventually scale it to reach at least 100 families.
Basic income programs operate around the principle that providing marginalized populations with enough capital to bring them above the poverty line will create benefits for both the recipients of the cash, but also for their larger communities. The various basic…
