Aisha Nyandoro
Working to break the cycle of generational poverty in the Deep South by providing direct financial support to Black women.
Against the backdrop of generational poverty faced by so many Americans—especially Black women in the South—Dr. Aisha Nyandoro inspires hope. At Springboard To Opportunities, the organization she leads in Jackson, Mississippi, Nyandoro and her team are providing life-changing resources and direct financial support to low-income women.
Springboard To Opportunities connects families living in affordable housing with resources and programs that help them advance in school, work, and life. In 2018, Springboard launched Magnolia Mother’s Trust, a trailblazing initiative that gives $1,000 monthly checks—no strings attached—to mothers living in federally subsidized affordable housing in Jackson. To date, over 320 mothers have been through the program. They report that the funds have helped them live fuller, healthier lives. Today, Magnolia Mother’s Trust is the longest-running guaranteed-income program in the United States.
“Society flourishes when we help our most vulnerable populations,” Nyandoro says. “As the cracks in our current system continue to show themselves, there is a distinct opportunity to reengineer the terms of our social safety net.”
Working to break the cycle of generational poverty in the Deep South by providing direct financial support to Black women.