As costs climb and support systems lag, one Mississippi mother shares what it takes to raise three children, stay in school and fight for stability in an economy that isn’t built for families like hers.
Front and Center is a groundbreaking series of op-eds—published by Ms. 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’ Magnolia Mother’s Trust (MMT), which this year will give $1,000 per month for 12 months to 100 families headed by Black women living in federally subsidized housing.
What possibilities could open up for low-income families if financial survival weren’t always top of mind? What dreams would these mothers and families be able to pursue? What activism and community leadership might arise? The series will answer these and other questions, by placing one mother’s story front and center every other week. The first-person accounts in this series are available for reprint. Find additional guidelines at the end of this story.
A year after her first piece, we revisit Javonica and her family.
My name is Javonica and I’m from Jackson, Mississippi. I’m a single Black mother of three—my 9-year-old, my 3-year-old and my baby who just turned 1.
My oldest is working hard studying for the big third-grade test they do. It’s a tough test, but he’s been doing great on his midterms. My 3-year-old keeps me on my toes every day, and my 1-year-old is our little diva. We can’t go anywhere without people stopping to talk about her cheeks and her hair. No matter what I’m going through, my kids stay good—but now we’re all in a much better, more stable place than we were, and that feels amazing.
I’ve always been the type of person to speak up when something isn’t right, especially when someone is being mistreated. The Workforce Fellowship with Springboard to Opportunities has poured gasoline on that fire in me. It’s pushed me to advocate for myself even more and reminded me that my voice matters—that I don’t have to sit and accept mistreatment just because someone is in a position of authority like a boss or a teacher. I have rights as a human being, and if I don’t speak up, no one will know what I’m going through. The fellowship has helped me show up more confidently, say, “This isn’t right,” or, “This could be better,” and stand firm even if things don’t go my way—because at least they know I’m not just going for anything.
… I don’t have to sit and accept mistreatment just because someone is in a position of authority like a boss or a teacher. I have rights as a human being, and if I don’t speak up, no one will know what I’m going through.
One of the biggest highlights of my life recently was meeting former Vice President Kamala Harris through Springboard. All I was told that day was that I’d be meeting a “special guest,” so I came dressed, expecting someone important but not her. When I realized it was Kamala Harris, I just burst into tears. I did not expect her to be in Jackson—let alone in my community—talking with me and even taking me grocery shopping.
Then I found out I was invited to her book tour, too. Hearing her talk about me on stage and share my story with the world had my heart so full. She was lifting up the truth that there are working families who need help, and that the picture some in the government try to paint—that everything is great and the economy is flourishing—is not our reality. A change needs to come.
Meeting her came right when I needed encouragement. The day before, I’d had a bad day at cosmetology school with my first client on the floor. Her color came out great, but the rod set did not, and I left feeling defeated, even praying and asking God for a sign about whether I should keep going. The very next day I met Kamala Harris and told her I was thinking about quitting. She told me, “No, you don’t stop going to school. We all make mistakes — take that mistake and turn it into a lesson and don’t make the same mistake twice.” She asked me, “You’re going to school tomorrow, right? And the day after that?” I told her yes, and she said she wants to see me walk across that stage. She poured into me like an auntie or big sister, and I carried those words back to school. Since then I’ve stayed on the president’s list at school, and when a client came in wanting the same service I’d struggled with before, I did it well and even got a $25 tip. That reminded me that you might fall, but you have to get back up and keep going, because it truly does get better.
Telling my story is important because it pushes back on this idea that everything is fine in America right now. A lot of our leaders are trying to paint a picture that the world is in a great place and the economy is flourishing. That’s not what I see as a low-income, working-class, single Black mother. Prices are going up on everything—rent, groceries, everything—and we’re still expected to provide for our children with the same or even less income. It’s hard.
Meanwhile, it seems easy for the government to send billions overseas, but somehow there’s not enough to properly support citizens here at home who are working and paying taxes that fund that money in the first place?
I tell my story because I hope that if they keep hearing from families like mine, they will finally feel moved to make a real change.
That’s why I’m speaking out for SUN Bucks (formerly known as SummerEBT), a program that helps low-income families fill the gap during the summer months when kids are out of school. It provides extra food benefits—$40 a month per child—so parents can keep their children fed when school meals aren’t available.
I honestly don’t understand why it’s so hard for lawmakers just to say yes to feeding hungry children in America. If I were a lawmaker and heard there were kids in my country going hungry, I’d want to fill that gap immediately. Instead, it feels like they just go on with their lives while children here are struggling. For many of us, that extra boost means the kids don’t have to skip meals and moms don’t have to go without food just to make sure their children eat.
As we go to the Capitol, my hope is that lawmakers and their staff truly listen—to our stories, our words, and the bigger principle behind why we’re there. Springboard to Opportunities has been stepping in with summer cash payments like SUN Bucks and other support to do what the government should be doing: making sure children are fed and families have what they need in the summer. We’re grateful for Springboard, but feeding children should be something our government is eager to do, not something community organizations are left to handle alone.
… The picture some in the government try to paint—that everything is great and the economy is flourishing—is not our reality. A change needs to come.
Being a single mom now, especially in Mississippi, comes with a long list of struggles. For me, the biggest challenges are finding a job that has a flexible schedule and pays enough for us to really make it. Right now, I’m a full-time student, at school 32 to 40 hours a week, and I don’t have a big support system where I can just call someone to watch my kids. My schedule has to wrap around my children’s needs. I looked up what it takes for a single person with no kids to be self-sufficient in Mississippi, and it was $20.75 an hour. I’ve never had a job that paid that much, and I’m raising three kids. That was disturbing to see in black and white. On top of that, when my kids get sick, I’m the only active parent. What am I supposed to do — leave my children and go to work? Of course I have to miss work. But jobs don’t always have understanding or leniency, even when you have doctor’s notes. That reality makes it extremely hard for working moms like me.
Because of all that, I rely on programs like TANF and SNAP, but navigating them can feel like a full-time job of its own. I had gotten off TANF when I was working, but between school and my job not understanding that life happens — kids get sick, I get sick — I had to leave that job and reapply. It took two months to get approved and start receiving benefits. If I hadn’t had Magnolia Mother’s Trust during that time, I don’t know what I would’ve done. Two months is too long when you’re in urgent need. With SNAP, I’ve experienced delayed benefits, like a full week where I had to keep going up to the office because calling 30 times still didn’t guarantee I’d reach anyone. I’ve seen people wait hours to catch the bus to the office just to be told, “There’s nothing we can do; we’ll call you,” and that call never comes. Some workers truly care and try to help, but others act like we’re just there for “free money,” even though SNAP can only be used for groceries. It adds emotional stress on top of everything we’re already dealing with.
The Workforce Fellowship is one place where I actually feel at peace. At the start of each session, they check on our well-being — how we’re really doing, what’s been going on, anything we want to celebrate or share. It’s a space where I feel heard and uplifted. They give us pointers on things like how to dress and show up in professional spaces, but they also nurture our spirits. The energy is so positive, and being around the other women motivates me to keep advocating, not just for myself but for our whole community.
… Feeding children should be something our government is eager to do, not something community organizations are left to handle alone.
I was also part of Springboard’s business and entrepreneurship fellowship. That’s actually what pushed me to enroll in cosmetology school. I learned about business basics, LLCs and what it means to be properly licensed. I didn’t know you can get fined or get in trouble for providing services without a license. Once I understood that, I knew I needed to go to school.
Now I’m in cosmetology, and while nails are my first love, I’m discovering that I enjoy the whole field—hair, nails, aesthetics. I’m in the Delta Blue Club, which is for students with at least an 85 percent grade average and strong attendance, and I’ve also been in the president’s club for maintaining a 95 percent or higher. I clock out of school on Oct. 22—my birthday—and graduate in November. That feels like a promise I’m keeping to myself and my children.
My dream after graduation is to be my own boss. I want to be a licensed cosmetologist doing hair, nails, waxes and aesthetics, and to have control over my income and my schedule. I want the freedom to spend time with my children, to set my own hours and to build financial freedom doing something I love. The whole point of going to school is to create a life where I don’t have to choose between providing for my family and actually being present with them.
As a mom, I’m also intentional about teaching my kids where we come from and who fought for us. For Black History Month—and really all year—I talked to them about leaders from slavery through the Civil Rights era who fought for us and our freedom to be where we are today, including the right to vote. We talk about people like Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman, and I try to introduce them to others who aren’t talked about as much. My two in school have projects coming up where they’ll dress up as Black leaders and do poster boards about them, and I’m excited to see them learn and take pride in who they are.
Even with all the challenges, I try to pour encouragement into other moms like me. To every mother working hard and caring for your children—with help or without—keep going. Life will try to knock you down, but if you keep praying, keep your faith, and keep putting in the work toward your goals, you will see good results. Just keep moving forward and keep being the great mother you are; you will get where you need to be.
Being part of Magnolia Mother’s Trust gave me the leg up I needed to get back on my feet. I’m in a really good place mentally and physically. Life isn’t perfect, but I’m happy, and my kids are thriving.
I’ve also been reclaiming small joys for myself. Being in the fellowship brings me peace because it’s a space where I feel truly seen. Outside of that, I’ve started reading again after drifting away from it, and I listen to music I love. It doesn’t take much—quiet time to think, to plan my goals, to reflect on how far I’ve come and where I’m headed. Those little moments of peace help me stay grounded so I can keep showing up for my children, my community and myself.
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.“
- You may also republish the photographs included in this story.
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Have questions on the series? Read more here, and direct specific questions to Katie Fleischer at kfleischer@msmagazine.com.
