Front & Center is a groundbreaking Ms. series that began as first-person accounts of Black mothers living in Jackson, Miss., receiving a guaranteed income. 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.
My name is Shomari Thomas. I’m 30 years old and I live in a subsidized housing complex in Jackson, Mississippi. I have four children: a 13-year-old daughter, sons who are 12 and 10, and my baby boy who’s 5. Their dad is in their lives and helps out with them, but I don’t have a partner.
I’m not working at the moment, but I’m interested in finding a job. The main difficulties I face are transportation and working around my kids’ schedules. My youngest gets out of school before the oldest, so I need after-school care. Without a car, I have to rely on Ubers, which can be costly.
(Editor’s note: Jackson’s public transportation system is notoriously unreliable compared to other similar cities.)
Most days, I feel overwhelmed and stressed. I’m seeing a therapist for it. I’m not where I want to be in life, and not having a job or transportation hinders me from doing a lot. Being responsible for four little people, making sure they’re mentally okay—it’s a lot to handle.
My monthly income is about a thousand dollars, which sometimes covers everything, but when emergencies happen, it’s not enough. In those moments, I rely on my family for help. I’m a SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) recipient, which helps a lot with food costs.
If I could have any job, I’d like an office job like a receptionist or something in the medical field. I’ve been looking into medical assistant programs and trying to figure out how to get a scholarship to go back to school.
My ideal future includes working a career I like, my kids doing well in school and extracurricular activities, and living in a house with a yard where my kids feel comfortable. I dream of going on vacations and providing a safe, stable environment for my family.
Receiving summer cash disbursements this year (after Mississippi opted out of the federal program) made a big difference. It allowed me to buy more food for my kids, especially fruits, which are expensive. I could order groceries for delivery, which was a huge help since I don’t have transportation.
I think Mississippi should implement the Summer EBT program. Kids are out of school and need more fuel. Some moms don’t get SNAP like me, so their kids might be going hungry or missing meals. The program would ensure children get proper nutrients and foods they need.
They want to charge us so much, but most of us don’t have the money for it because they won’t raise the minimum wage.
Shomari, a mother of four in Jackson, Miss.
I was getting TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, a program embroiled in scandal in Mississippi) for a while over the years. It’s a good program that provides money for kids’ expenses and transportation. They help with resumes, job preparation, and even provide childcare. They continue to help for about a year after you get a job, which is really beneficial. But there’s a limit to how long you can get it, so I don’t qualify for it anymore, even though I am still struggling financially.
We’re covered by Medicaid, which is adequate, especially for my children. It covers transportation to appointments, glasses, dental work—all free of charge. I think Medicaid should be expanded because many people, especially those without children, struggle to get healthcare coverage.
I feel like we’re in a bad place as a country right now. While people in office are trying to make changes, I don’t think they’re always targeting the right issues. I wish the government would address high taxes because it is not balancing out.
(Editor’s note: Mississippi has an extremely regressive tax structure that favors the wealthy and places a heavier burden on the poor than other states)
They want to charge us so much, but most of us don’t have the money for it because they won’t raise the minimum wage. It’s like they want us to pay a certain amount into the government, but they’re not giving us the leniency or the leeway to make the amount of money to take care of our needs and give them back what they want.
As for Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic nominee, it gives a little hope that she’s Black and a woman. Maybe she’ll make some changes for the lower and middle-class citizens who have it the hardest. But over the years, there have been a lot of false promises, so I’ll believe it when I see it. I’ll definitely vote, but I’m not too invested in politics.
Even though things are hard and I beat myself up a lot, I try to remind myself that my kids have a roof over their heads and they’re doing okay, so maybe it’s just not my time to be doing everything I hope for. I really, really want to work. But it’s so hard with the things that come up—like my daughter has sleep apnea and we have to go back and forth for these sleep studies during the week. With a job, I couldn’t get her the care she needs.
I really have nobody to help. It’s just me. But I find joy in it as well, just knowing that my kids are doing well. My one son just joined band, the other is in orchestra playing the violin and my daughter is in the choir. Even if they don’t stick with it, I just want them to know I’m there having their back and supporting them.
Read more from Front and Center. Hear directly from Black women navigating existing social safety net programs, while also trying to care for their families and build a career—their struggles, their children, their work, their relationships and their dreams for the future.
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