. and created in partnership with the Magnolia Mother’s Trust—which aims to put front and center the voices of Black women who are affected most by the often-abstract policies currently debated at the national level. The series highlights the success of Springboard to Opportunities’, which this year will give $1,000 per month for 12 months to 100 families headed by Black women living in federally subsidized housing.
I was at work when I got the call that I was picked to be part of the program, And it was April 1st—April Fool’s Day—so I thought it was a joke. So I said, “Are you serious? You’re sure this isn’t a prank?” And they said “No, this is real.” Being in this program will help me make sure that my kids have it easier than my sister and I did when we were younger. We both grew up in Jackson, and have lived here our whole lives. We went to a lot of different schools because we were in the—we got taken away from our mom at an early age because my mom turned to drugs after my stepdad died from colon cancer.
We were away from our mom from when we were 11 until almost 17. We were so happy when we were able to be back with her—our brothers are older and so when we were taken away, we were the only ones who ended up in the system. And it’s just not a place with a lot of hope, you know? We thought we were going to turn 18 in the system—that’s what people look forward to, aging out—so being able to go back home was really a great thing for us.
Since I found out a few weeks ago that I’d be getting this money for the year, I’ve been thinking about all the things I can do now. I want to pay off my student loan debt, and move into a house. Right now I live in a two-bedroom with my son and my daughter, and it’s hard to have them share a room, to make that a space they both feel comfortable in.