Front & Center is a groundbreaking series amplifying the voices of Black women navigating poverty—highlighting their struggles, resilience and dreams as they care for their families, build careers and challenge systems not built for their success. Now in its fourth year, Front & Center is a collaboration between Ms. and Springboard to Opportunities, a nonprofit based in Jackson, Miss., working alongside residents of federally subsidized housing as they pursue their goals.
My name is Linda. I’m 44 years old, born and raised in Jackson, Miss., and I’m a proud mother of three and grandmother of five beautiful girls. Two of my kids are adults now; my oldest daughter has four daughters of her own. My son has a daughter too. My youngest is 16 — she’s my baby girl. All of us were born and raised right here in Jackson.
I love being a grandmother. I’ll admit, I always hoped for a grandson, but I have five granddaughters, and they love their grandma. I love the summertime and springtime because I can take them to the waterpark or just out for a ride. When I pull up to their house, they come running out, screaming, “Grandma! Grandma!” For some reason, they think grandmothers always have money. They want to go to the store for chips and candy, so I make sure to keep some around just for them.
Right now, I’m not working, but I’m looking for a job. My dream is to be a nurse in labor and delivery. I’ve been in the delivery room with 17 women, most of them family, and it gives me such a thrill to see life come into the world. There’s just something about being in the room when a baby is born — I love to help people and be there for them. I really do hope to get to that as a job one day.
Family is everything to me. My mom, sisters, aunties, my brother — we’re all here in Jackson, and whenever I need help, I know I can count on them. Some days are better than others, but lately I’ve been feeling pretty healthy. My teenage daughter keeps me on my toes, and we’re learning from each other every day.
I remember the day I got the call that we were getting some help through the Magnolia Mother’s Trust. My daughter was in the back, and I was in the front, and when I got off the phone, I was so happy. She didn’t know why, but she started clapping and dancing with me. I told her, “Baby, we’ve been blessed.” Before that, I couldn’t always pay for the things she needed, but now I can, and that means the world to me. We just danced around the living room, so happy.
Being a mom makes me feel special and proud. There are little people looking up to me, and I can’t really put it into words, but I’m so grateful I was able to bring life into this world. Sometimes they get on my nerves with their “Mama! Mama!” but it still feels good to hear it. I’m tight with my mother, and I’m tight with my kids.
Honestly, I’m used to putting my kids first. When my daughter asks for something — something small like getting fast food, which we almost never do, or getting her hair done — and I can say yes, that makes me feel good. It makes me feel proud to be able to do something for her more than to do anything for myself. I’m a single parent, so I pick up the slack for her father not being around, and my joy comes from being able to provide for her.
One thing I’ve always wanted to do is take my daughter on a vacation. I did it with my older kids, but never with her. I’m saving up so we can drive to Destin, Florida. She’s never been to the ocean, only seen it on TV, and she talks about it all the time. I want her to see that clear blue water, to play in the sand. So I’m putting some money aside to be able to do that. That’s one of my personal goals at the moment, in addition to my professional goal of becoming a nurse.
When people ask me about Black motherhood, I just say: We are survivors. We know how to nurture, we’re proud of our kids and we’re strong. I’m proud to be a Black mother.
Honestly, being asked to share more about myself made me feel special. If Tyler Perry calls, I’ll be ready! But today, the sun is out, I feel good and I’m thankful for this opportunity to share my story.
Front and Center pieces are free to republish, under the following guidelines:
- At the top of your reprint, include a line that reads: “Front and Center is a series of op-eds published by Ms. magazine and created in partnership with Springboard to Opportunities and Magnolia Mother’s Trust.“
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Have questions on the series? Read more here, and direct specific questions to Katie Fleischer at kfleischer@msmagazine.com.
