Our goal was to give Black women in extreme poverty a platform to share their stories. Today, their voices are shaping books and policies—but our work is far from over.
When we started our Front & Center series three years ago, our goal was to give Black women living in extreme poverty—too often ignored in our politics and press—a platform to share their lived experience. We wanted them to be the authors of their own stories, and to build empathy among our audience for their struggles and successes. We are proud to have achieved this, with an array of stories that have been featured in bestselling books to congressional white papers.
In many ways, the world was a much better place for women then: Roe was intact. Low-wage workers (far more likely to be women) were seeing unprecedented salary growth. The government was supplementing unemployment and about to start monthly expanded child tax credit payments that led to the U.S.’ biggest-ever drop in poverty.
Things have changed, and hard-won progress is under threat on countless fronts. In response, we are shifting our focus to look at the bigger picture. As we look ahead to the upcoming year of our Front & Center series for Ms. magazine, we are reaffirming our commitment to shining a light on issues faced by Black women living in poverty. But instead of the narrow spotlight we’ve held to the singular program of the Magnolia Mother’s Trust guaranteed income pilot, we recognize that we must illuminate the full range of systems that harm our most vulnerable communities—from healthcare, childcare and elder care, to the importance of mental, physical and spiritual health.
It is important to us to continue to create this space to center the voices of Black women navigating existing social safety net programs, while also trying to care for their families and build a career—because focusing on how to uplift our most marginalized will not only help us rectify long-standing inequities perpetuated by our government and society, but help us to create systems that work better for us all.
There is a concerted effort by conservatives to gaslight Americans into believing the inequity within our economy is because of poor individual choices, rather than the reality that sexism and racism are baked into our systems and labor market.
Black women bear a disproportionate burden in caregiving roles historically and currently in this country, and it’s time these challenges are addressed comprehensively. Women, especially Black women, have long been the backbone of our care infrastructure. They are the primary caregivers for children, the elderly, and those with health needs, often without adequate support or compensation. This disproportionate burden exacerbates economic inequalities, limiting their ability to generate income and build wealth. By focusing on broader systemic issues such as these, our Front & Center series will highlight the urgent need for robust care infrastructure that supports all women, particularly those who are most marginalized.
This widening area of coverage also reflects an evolution underway at Springboard to Opportunities, the organization that runs the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. Springboard wants to tell the full story of what’s happening in our community. As a radically resident-driven organization, Springboard is always adjusting and scaling based on resident needs and input. This means the Magnolia Mother’s Trust has grown and shifted over the years, leading to the creation of new programs like policy fellowships and broader cash disbursements in response to environmental, infrastructure and policy disasters. The stories of our families continue to shape Springboard’s decisions and priorities—which will be reflected in the new iteration of Front & Center, the first of which goes live Wednesday, Aug. 14.
Springboard recognizes that addressing systemic barriers requires a holistic approach. Cash is only one piece of a much larger puzzle. Therefore, Springboard is expanding efforts to tackle the overarching systems that perpetuate poverty and inequity—such as testifying on Capitol Hill in favor of making safety net benefits more readily available, and stepping up to fill the gap when the state of Mississippi rejected federal funds to feed hungry children. This shift aims to create sustainable change by advocating for policies and practices that address the root causes of economic disparities.
When we invest in Black women, we uplift entire communities and drive economic growth and innovation.
Both Springboard and Ms. are drawing attention to these root causes because there is a concerted effort by conservatives to gaslight Americans into believing the inequity within our economy is because of poor individual choices, rather than the reality that sexism and racism are baked into our systems and labor market. The recent ruling against the Fearless Fund, which aimed to support Black female entrepreneurs, underscores the importance of targeted programs and the need to defend them vigorously. The Fearless Fund’s aim with its grant program is to bridge the significant funding gap for Black women entrepreneurs, who receive less than 1 percent of venture capital funding.
Led by the white man who also derailed affirmative action on college campuses who made the case that this privately-funded equity initiative was discriminatory, this decision is a major setback in efforts to create more race and gender parity within our economy, and society at large. This ruling is not just a setback for Black women, but a blow to the broader fight for economic justice.
Targeted programs like the Fearless Fund and the Magnolia Mother’s Trust are crucial because they acknowledge and address the specific challenges faced by communities that have always been overlooked and underinvested. These initiatives provide resources and support to help Black women overcome barriers and achieve equitable outcomes. When we invest in Black women, we uplift entire communities and drive economic growth and innovation.
We will not back down in the face of these ongoing attacks on programs designed to address historical and systemic inequities. It is crucial that women of all races—particularly white women, who generally enjoy more income and wealth security than their counterparts—stand with the Black women on the frontlines of the battle against rising sexism and racism.
Targeted programs like the Fearless Fund and the Magnolia Mother’s Trust are crucial because they acknowledge and address the specific challenges faced by communities that have always been overlooked and underinvested.
The decision to focus our Front & Center series on systems change and the breadth of issues that intersect in all our lives is driven by the recognition that true equity requires comprehensive change. Cash, alone, is not enough to fix what’s been designed not to work. None of us can afford to play small—we must abandon the scarcity mentality we’ve been sold by too many of our leaders for a vision of shared prosperity and collective abundance.
We can, and should fight for, all the things: economic security, healthcare, paid time off, the ability to have a child and not lose our careers, the ability to not have a child. By addressing the improvements necessary to our broader economic systems, we can create a society where all women, particularly Black women, have the opportunity to thrive. We call on policymakers, advocates and community leaders to join us in this fight.
Together, we can build a future where the pathways to economic security are accessible to all.
Front & Center offers first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss. Explore the full series here, including the series relaunch—our latest first-person account from a mother struggling to feed her kids when they’re home from school during the summer after Mississippi was one of 15 states to decline federal food aid for poor families.
