What The Hell America!

A groundbreaking Ms. series, Front & Center first began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income from Springboard to Opportunities’ Magnolia Mother’s Trust (MMT). Moving into the fourth year and next phase of this series, the aim is to expand our focus beyond a single policy intervention to include a broader examination of systemic issues impacting Black women experiencing poverty. This means diving deeper into the interconnected challenges they face—including navigating the existing safety net; healthcare, childcare and elder care; and the importance of mental, physical and spiritual well-being. The first-person accounts in this series are available for reprint. Find additional guidelines at the end of this story.

My name is Jasmine, and I’m 33 years old. I’m a mother of three—there’s Nehemiah, my oldest, who is 13. Then there’s my daughter, Harmoni, who is 9, and my youngest, Joshun, is 8 years old.

We love doing things together as a family. We play games at home, head to the park, and sometimes catch a movie or grab a bite to eat. We love to eat! We mostly do things at home, but we also like to get out and about.

When it comes to food, we usually stick to the basics, but I like to try new things every now and then. I always let my kids try them too, to see if they have similar tastes. Sometimes they are more adventurous eaters than I am.

Right now, I work as a personal care assistant, assisting the elderly with day-to-day needs. I help with housekeeping, medication reminders, running errands and even going to medical appointments. Just whatever kind of help they need really as they may not be physically or mentally able to do everything they used to. 

I love helping people, but I have bigger dreams. I really want to become an entrepreneur and have my own business. I’m taking it one step at a time. 

I love to sing, and I’m even trying to get my voice trained. 

Whatever business I start, I want it to be something that helps people and benefits them, not just about the money. I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but it’s something I’m working on and thinking about more lately.

It’s tough to work as much as I would need or want to because I need to be there as a parent, so right now I’m unable to be working full-time. Being a single mom with three kids is a challenge, especially because I don’t have a big support system right now. It feels like I’m always multitasking—juggling appointments, dealing with school issues … all the things that come up in the day-to-day of raising kids. 

Financially, things can be tough. My income isn’t always enough to cover everything my kids’ need. There’s always some cost to cover—school pictures, activities, new shoes. Kids grow so fast!

Finding reliable childcare has always been a struggle. There were times when I couldn’t get a job because I couldn’t find childcare or the process of securing a childcare voucher took too long.

I would describe my mental health as a bit of a curve. Some days are good, and I’m happy. A couple of times a week, I get overwhelmed. I’m glad to be a mother, but it can be hectic. The two oldest kids’ dad babysits sometimes, and his sister helps out with them. My youngest’s dad will help sometimes, too. My mom isn’t able to help due to being ill, and I don’t hear from my dad much. So, I don’t have a lot of people I can rely on.

I have made more than minimum wage, and I am now, but it doesn’t feel like much of a win since I’m part-time at the moment. Finding reliable childcare has always been a struggle. There were times when I couldn’t get a job because I couldn’t find childcare or the process of securing a childcare voucher took too long. Eventually, I was able to get them into daycare on a low payment plan until I got the voucher approved.

I do have healthcare coverage for my kids through Medicaid. It’s helpful, but it doesn’t cover everything. For example, my son’s glasses break easily, and if they break more than twice in a month, I have to pay for the repairs, which can be expensive—around $200. So, while insurance helps, it’s not always enough when you’re in a tight situation.

I’ll never forget the day I got the call that I was accepted into the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. I was in the store, and the lady on the phone congratulated me. I was so excited! I wanted to scream, but I tried to stay cool since I was in public. It was such a relief because I knew this program was something my kids and I really needed. It’s not that we’re always lacking, but we’ve been through some hard times. Knowing that I had some extra help each month about to come in made me so happy. My kids aren’t materialistic and always asking for things, but I want to make sure they have what they need.

Summers can be tough because the kids don’t have access to the free meals provided in Jackson schools and that puts a strain on my grocery budget. I try to have easy things on hand for the kids to grab to eat during the day. I try to find them summer activities, but sometimes I miss the deadline to sign them up. That means I have to provide even more food for them.

The money I just started receiving from the Magnolia Mother’s Trust will make a big difference in feeding my family. It will allow me to buy more food and make sure my kids have enough to eat. With my food stamps being cut down, it will be a big help.

When I got my first check from Magnolia Mother’s Trust, I was so excited! I knew the date it was supposed to come, and when I checked my account and saw it there, I had a big smile on my face. At that time, I had no money. I work, but I had to pay bills and other things. Knowing that I had some money to put more food on the table and gas in my car was such a relief.

With the year I’m getting support from the Trust, I want to be able to supply my kids with what they need as they grow. I also want to save for them and teach them how to budget their money. It’s not all about spending. I want to plan family trips and do things together that we haven’t been able to do because of a lack of funds. Most of all, I want to build up savings. No matter how much money you got, you got to learn how to save. Eventually, I want to try and move my kids somewhere they can have a better life, probably out of Mississippi.

Right now, I’m finding joy just to be above ground and being able to still be able-bodied. I was born with a bone condition, and I always fear what could go wrong, but I try to look at the positive outlook on it—knowing that I have kids and try to stay strong. I don’t let my problems outweigh the good things and being able to still breathe. 

Front and Center pieces are free to republish, under the following guidelines:

Have questions on the series? Read more here, and direct specific questions to Katie Fleischer at kfleischer@msmagazine.com.