>> SO TELL ME, WHAT IS THE

>> SO TELL ME, WHAT IS THE

MAGNOLIA MOTHER'S TRUST?

MAGNOLIA MOTHER'S TRUST?

MAGNOLIA MOTHER'S TRUST?

>> YEAH, THE MAGNOLIA MOTHER'S

>> YEAH, THE MAGNOLIA MOTHER'S

TRUST IS THIS MAGICAL PROGRAM

THAT REALLY IS ABOUT RESTORING

DIGNITY INTO THE LIVES OF LOW

INCOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN MOTHERS

AND IT HAD BEEN THE PREMISE THAT

YOU GIVE INDIVIDUALS CASH AND

TRUST THAT THEY HAVE AGENCY AND

KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THOSE

RESOURCES, SO THE MECHANICS OF

THIS PROGRAM IS THAT WE'RE

PROVIDING A THOUSAND DOLLARS A

MONTH FOR 12 MONTHS TO LOW

INCOME AFRICAN-AMERICAN MOTHERS

WHO LIVE IN FEDERALLY SUBSIDIZED

AFFORDABLE HOUSING WITH NO

STRINGS ATTACHED, UNDERSTANDING

THAT WE TRUST THEM, WE SEE THEM,

THEY UNDERSTAND BETTER THAN

ANYONE WHAT IT IS THAT THEY NEED

TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR LIVES,

AND JUST ALLOWING THAT AGENCY TO

GO OUT AND MAKE THOSE DREAMS

ACTUALIZED.

>> WHY TARGET THAT SPECIFIC

DEMOGRAPHIC.

>> WE TRULY BELIEVE WHEN YOU

INVEST IN THE MOST VULNERABLE IN

SOCIETY, SOCIETY AS A WHOLE

FLOURISHES, BECAUSE OF SOME OF

THE INCOME AND GENDER

INEQUALITIES THAT RELATES TO

WAGES AND THE PUNITIVE ACCESS OF

THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET SYSTEM,

AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN HAVE

BECOME THE MOST VULNERABLE IN

THIS COMMUNITY.

WE ARE SAYING THAT IF WE INVEST

IN THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN MOST

TARGETED BY SOME OF THE NEGATIVE

ASPECTS OF THE SOCIAL SAFETY

NETWORK AS WELL AS REALLY THE

WAGES WITHIN THIS COUNTRY, WE

CAN SEE WHAT HAPPENS AS A WHOLE

AND IT BENEFITS ALL OF US JUST

NOT THESE FAMILIES BECAUSE THE

DATA IS REALLY CLEAR WHEN

INDIVIDUALS HAVE RESOURCES,

COMMUNITIES FLOURISH, LONG-TERM,

EDUCATION FLOURISHES, SO WE ARE

JUST, WE'RE TRYING IT, AND WE'RE

GOING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

>> UNPACK SOMETHING FOR ME THAT

YOU'RE SAYING WHICH IS THE

SAFETY NET, WHAT ARE THOSE, HOW

DO THEY MANIFEST.

>> THANK YOU.

THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.

SO A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS DO NOT

REALIZE THE VARIOUS STEPS WITHIN

OUR SOCIAL SAFETY NET SYSTEM AND

THE PUNITIVE ASPECT OF IT, AND

SO WHAT I MEAN WITH THE PUNITIVE

ASPECT IS THAT WHENEVER YOUR

INCOME INCREASES, YOUR BENEFITS

IMMEDIATELY DECREASE, NOT

ALLOWING YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO

GET SETTLED OR TO REALLY FIGURE

OUT HOW TO NAVIGATE WHAT IT NOW

MEANS TO HAVE ADDITIONAL INCOME,

AND NOT ONLY IS THE PUNITIVE IN

THAT REGARD, IT ALSO TAKES AWAY

YOUR DIGNITY AS AN INDIVIDUAL

BECAUSE NONE OF THESE SYSTEMS

ARE CONNECTED.

THERE'S A LOT OF BUREAUCRACY

INVOLVED IN GOING TO MULTIPLE

OFFICES TO GET CERTIFICATION OR

RECERTIFIED AND REALLY HAVING TO

PROVE THAT YOU ARE POOR ENOUGH

TO RECEIVE THESE BENEFITS, SO

IT'S A DEHUMANIZING PROCESS THAT

REALLY DOESN'T ALLOW INDIVIDUALS

TO SHOW UP IN THEIR FULL SELVES.

>> HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN

RUNNING THIS PROGRAM.

>> I HAVE BEEN RUNNING THE

SPRING BOARD OPPORTUNITIES FOR

SEVEN YEARS NOW.

THE MAGNOLIA MOTHER'S TRUST

LAUNCHED THIS PAST DECEMBER AND

WE HAVE BEEN IN THIS PILOT PHASE

FOR THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS,

WORKING ALONGSIDE OUR FAMILIES

AND REALLY BEING ON THIS MAGICAL

TRANSFORMATION WITH THEM?

>> AND THE RESULTS?

THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN ABOVE AND

BEYOND ANYTHING THAT WE

EXPECTED.

THESE WOMEN UNDERSTAND THE

URGENCY OF THIS MOMENT AND IT

HAS BEEN AN IMMEDIATE RETURN ON

INVESTMENT FOR US AS AN

ORGANIZATION AND FOR THEM WITHIN

THEIR LIVES.

WE HAVE SEEN AS A WHOLE

COLLECTIVELY THE 20 WOMEN IN

THIS PILOT HAVE PAID OFF ABOUT

$10,000 IN DEBT, AND NOT ONLY

THAT, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUALS ON

AVERAGE HAVE SAVED ABOUT $500.

WHICH MAKES THEM BETTER OFF THAN

A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS THAT WE'RE

SEEING WHEN WE KNOW THAT VERY

FEW AMERICANS HAVE $400 SAVED TO

DEAL WITH AN EMERGENCY, SO

THEY'RE SAVING, THEY'VE

PLANNING.

WE HAVE SEEN WOMEN GO BACK TO

SCHOOL.

WE HAVE SEEN WOMEN NOW ACTUALLY

COMPLETE THEIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

DEGREES BECAUSE THEY NOW HAVE

THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE TIME OFF

FOR WORK OR WORK LESS HOURS

KNOWING THAT THEY HAVE THIS

INCOME.

BUT NOT ONLY ARE WE SEEING THESE

DIFFERENCES MANIFESTED IN THESE

LARGE WAYS THAT WILL IMPACT

THEIR LIFE IN MUCH BETTER WAYS

DOWN THE ROAD, WE'RE JUST SEEING

THEM SHOW UP DIFFERENTLY EVERY

DAY.

>> WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, SHOW UP

DIFFERENTLY?

>> THAT MEANS THEY ARE ABLE TO

PARENT DIFFERENTLY, THEY ARE NOT

STRESSED, THEY CAN BE INVOLVED

WITH THEIR KIDS LIVES MORE, THAT

THEY HAVE JOY, THAT THEY CAN

PLAN WEEKEND EXCURSIONS BECAUSE

THEY HAVE THOSE FINANCIAL

RESOURCES SO IT'S BEEN BEAUTIFUL

TO WATCH IT UNFOLD BECAUSE IT

REALLY IS SEEING THEM BLOSSOM

AND RECOGNIZE THAT THEY ACTUALLY

CAN NOT ONLY JUST DREAM, THAT

THEY NOW CAN HAVE THEIR

RESOURCES AND THE BAND WIDTH TO

PUT THOSE DREAMS INTO

ACTUALIZATION.

>> TELL ME ABOUT SOME OF THE

STORIES THAT STAND OUT TO YOU

MOST IN THE COURSE OF THE LAST

SEVEN MONTHS.

>> ONE OF THE STORIES THAT COMES

TO MIND TO ME THE MOST IS ONE OF

OUR MOMS, AND HER NAME IS

ZAKIAH, SHE HAS PAID OFF $1,800

IN DEBT, AND $1,800 IN QUITE

FRANKLY PREDATORY COMMUNITY

COLLEGE DEBT THAT SHE WAS

FEEDING WHEN SHE WAS TRYING TO

BETTER HER LIFE.

SHE GOT INTO THIS DEBT AND WAS

UNABLE TO CONTINUE HER

EDUCATION, WAS TRAPPED INTO AN

HOURLY WAGE JOB, JUST REALLY

TRYING TO MAKE SURE SHE WAS

DOING WHAT SHE NEEDED TO DO TO

TAKE CARE OF HERSELF AND HER

GIRLS.

NOT ONLY DID SHE PAY OFF THAT

DEBT, SHE WAS ABLE TO USE SOME

OF THE RESOURCES TO GET HER

CERTIFICATION IN PHLEBOTOMY AND

NOW SHE IS LOOKING FOR A

FULL-TIME JOB AND INTERVIEWING

FOR JOBS IN DOCTORS OFFICES

WHERE SHE WILL HAVE BENEFITS,

WHERE SHE WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE

TIME OFF AND KNOW HER SCHEDULE

WILL NOT BE IN FLUX EVERY WEEK

BECAUSE SHE WILL HAVE JUST THE

STABILITY OF A NINE-TO-FIVE JOB

THAT A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS TAKE

FOR GRANTED.

>> TAKE ME BACK TO WHEN YOU WERE

CALLING THESE WOMEN AND TELLING

THEM THEY WERE GOING TO BE A

PART OF THIS.

>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST

INTERESTING DAYS OF MY LIFE.

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT WHEN

WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO CALL

THE WOMEN AND LET THEM KNOW THAT

THEY WERE GOING TO BE WORKING

WITH US ON THIS JOURNEY FOR THIS

CAREER.

>> WHY AM I CALLING YOU SEKOLA.

>> I WAS PICKED.

>> YOU WERE PICKED.

>> YAY.

YOU GAVE ME SOME EXCITING NEWS.

THANKS.

>> HOW DO YOU FEEL, ARE YOU

EXCITED?

>> I'M SO EXCITE.

YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.

I'M TOO EXCITED.

>> HEARING THE JOY IN THEIR

VOICES AND THE EXCITEMENT AND

ALSO THE TEARS BECAUSE THERE WAS

A LOT OF TEARS BECAUSE WHEN YOU

ARE TALKING ABOUT $12,000, THIS

IS A LIFE CHANGING AMOUNT OF

MONEY FOR THIS POPULATION.

AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THESE

INDIVIDUALS, A LOT OF THEM MAKE

LESS THAN $11,000, SO $12,000,

THAT'S DOUBLING THEIR INCOME, SO

THEY UNDERSTOOD THE MAGNITUDE OF

THAT MOMENT BETTER THAN ANYONE.

SO FOR ME AS A LEADER TO HAVE

THE OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW THAT WE

WERE ABLE TO DO WHAT WE NEEDED

TO DO TO PARTNER ALONGSIDE THEM,

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL BUT IT ALSO WAS

HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE I HAD TO

MAKE THE PHONE CALLS TO THE

OTHER MOTHERS AS WELL, AND WHEN

YOU ARE IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH

INDIVIDUALS, YOU KNOW THEIR

STORIES, AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY

NEED, AND SO FOR A LOT OF THE

INDIVIDUALS WHOM I HAD TO CALL,

I KNEW THE PLANS THAT THEY HAD,

AND I REALLY IN SOME INSTANCES

FELT LIKE I WAS BREAKING THOSE

DREAMS, AND THAT WAS A HARD

PLACE TO SIT WITH.

AND IT'S STILL HARD WITH ME TO

SIT WITH BECAUSE YOU WANT TO

ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU

CAN BE DOING TO HELP SUPPORT

INDIVIDUALS ACHIEVE ALL THAT

THEY'RE SEEKING TO ACHIEVE WITH

THEIR LIVES.

>> STEPPING BACK AND LOOKING AT

THE CONTEXT IN WHICH THESE

INDIVIDUALS ARE LIVING MORE

BROADLY, WHAT SYSTEMS AND

POLICIES ARE IN PLACE THAT MOST

AFFECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES?

>> YEAH, SO FOR OUR POPULATION,

IT IS EXTREMELY LOW INCOME

INDIVIDUALS, SO TO PUT THAT IN

CONTEXT EVEN FURTHER, WE'RE

TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS WHO

MAKE ABOUT -- WHO LIVE 200%

BELOW THE POVERTY INDEX.

TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT EVEN

FURTHER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

INDIVIDUALS WHO ON AVERAGE MAKE

$11,000 ANNUALLY.

>> SO WHEN YOU ARE MAKING THAT

LITTLE AMOUNT OF INCOME AND

RAISING A FAMILY, THERE ARE

VARIOUS SYSTEMS THAT CONVERGE ON

YOUR LIFE SIMULTANEOUSLY.

THERE'S A SYSTEM OF AFFORDABLE

HOUSING WHERE YOUR RENT IS

SUBSIDIZE ASKED YOU RECEIVE A

VOUCHER.

THERE'S A SNAP WHICH PROVIDES

THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEED YOUR

FAMILY.

THERE'S MEDICARE OR MEDICAID OR

SOME COMBINATION OF BOTH, YOU

MAY RECEIVE CHILD CARE

ASSISTANCE OR THAT VOUCHER.

THERE IS TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE

FOR NEEDY FAMILIES, SO THERE ARE

ALL OF THESE VARIOUS PIECES THAT

ARE NOT INTERCONNECTED BUT ALL

HAVE A SAY IN HOW YOU LIVE YOUR

LIFE AND WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR YOU

AND YOUR FAMILY.

>> THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS

DONE BY A LOTTERY, BUT IT IS

STILL OFTEN MEANING THAT THE

PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING FOR YOU,

THEY KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM.

THEY ACTIVELY WANT TO

PARTICIPATE.

DOES HAVING THAT TYPE OF

PARTICIPANT SKEW THE RESULTS?

>> I DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE

INDIVIDUALS -- BECAUSE NOT ALL

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE

PARTICIPATING IN THE LOTTERY ARE

THE SAME.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME

INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN IN THE

LOTTERY, WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE

LOTTERY, WHO HAD NOT WORKED FOR

YEARS.

WHERE SOME OF OUR OTHER MOMS

WHO, YOU KNOW, PARTICIPATED IN

THE LOTTERY HAD WORKED FULL-TIME

FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS.

MINIMUM WAGE JOBS AND NOT HAVING

AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THEIR

FOOTING, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE

RESULTS WILL BE SKEWED BASED ON

THAT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT

THERE WAS A LOTTERY THAT WAS

OPEN TO THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LIVE

IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE WORK

IN, AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE

VERY DIFFERENT.

IT'S NOT JUST ONE DEMOCRACY OF

WOMEN.

>> WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL ACCESS

POINT FOR UNDERSTANDING THESE

CHALLENGES?

>> I TRULY UNDERSTAND THAT

ACCEPT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD, MY

GRANDMOTHER HAD MY MOM WHEN SHE

WAS 17 IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA

AND SHE HAD TO DROP OUT OF HIGH

SCHOOL, AND SHE HAD MY AUNTIES

AND UNCLES AND ALL OF THESE

OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN HER

MID-20s, AND SO MY MOM GREW UP

IN DEEP POVERTY, AND MY

GRANDMOTHER GREW UP IN DEEP

POVERTY AND THANKS TO VARIOUS

SUPPORTS THAT THEY HAD, THAT WAS

NOT THE NARRATIVE THAT MY LIFE

TOOK, BUT THEY NEVER SHIELDED ME

FROM THAT REALITY, AND SO MY

GRANDMOTHER WAS A VETERAN OF THE

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.

SHE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THAT, SO

I GREW UP FIRSTHAND SEEING THAT

AND WORKING IN COMMUNITIES AND

UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE

TO BE AN ADVOCATE WITH

INDIVIDUALS AND NOT TRYING TO

HOLD POWER OVER.

AND SO MY ACCESS POINT AS A

WOMAN OF COLOR, OR

AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN LIVING IN

THIS COUNTRY, UNDERSTANDING WHAT

THOSE CHALLENGES ARE BUT NOT

EVER SAYING MY CHALLENGE IS

THEIR CHALLENGE BECAUSE OUR

LIVES HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUSLY

DIFFERENT BUT I SEE THEM, AND I

UNDERSTAND THEM, AND SO THAT'S

MY ACCESS POINT AND SO IT REALLY

IS JUST AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A

VESSEL AND TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY

QUITE FRANKLY HAVE THE HONOR OF

BEING THEIR VOICE AT THE TABLE.

BECAUSE IN SO MANY INSTANCES,

THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE

TABLES.

>> THERE'S A LOT OF BUZZ RIGHT

NOW AROUND THE CONCEPT OF

UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME AND THAT

IS A PROGRAM THAT CAN TAKE MANY

FORMS BUT AT ITS CORE IS A

THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH FOR

INDIVIDUALS OVER THE AGE OF 18

IN PERPETUITY THAT YOU GET TO

OPT INTO.

WHAT MAKES THIS DIFFERENT THAN

UBI?

>> AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE

PREMISES ARE THE SAME, YOU KNOW,

ABOUT THE DIGNITY, ECONOMY AND

TRUSTING IN INDIVIDUALS AND

MAKING SURE FOLKS HAVE THE

RESOURCES THEY NEED TO LIVE

THEIR BEST LIVES SO OUR DEALS

ARE SIMILAR REGARDING THAT

FRAMING OF THE DIGNITY THAT CASH

PROVIDES, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT

IN REGARD TO OUR POPULATION,

REALLY ARE SAYING, OKAY, THIS IS

ABOUT ECONOMIC AND RACIAL

JUSTICE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT

FOR THIS POPULATION SPECIFICALLY

THE NARRATIVE HAS BEEN SO

NEGATIVE, HOW DO WE GO ABOUT

REFRAMING THAT NARRATIVE,

RESTORING DIGNITY, AND PROVIDING

THE CASH WITHOUT ANY STRINGS

ATTACHED.

>> HAVE YOU SEEN ANY INSTANCES

WHERE THIS PILOT HAS FAILED?

>> SO I WILL SAY THAT THERE ARE

INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE STRUGGLING

AND I THINK THAT THE RATIONALE

FOR THAT IS THAT WHEN WE ARE

LOOKING AT EVEN WITH THE PILOT

OF 20 INDIVIDUALS THIS PILOT OF

20 INDIVIDUALS REPRESENTS THE

LARGER DYNAMICS THAT OCCUR

WITHIN COMMUNITY AND SOCIETY.

SO INDIVIDUALS WERE ALREADY

STRUGGLING, THESE ARE FOLKS WHO

LIVE IN HIGH POVERTY,

TRAUMATIZED COMMUNITIES, SO TO

BELIEVE THAT A THOUSAND DOLLARS

IS A MAGIC BULLET THAT ABSOLVES

ALL OF THOSE ILLS, IS NOT

RATIONAL.

SO YES, THERE ARE STRUGGLES, I

WILL NOT SIT HERE AND SAY

EVERYONE IS GOING TO TIPTOE OFF

INTO THE TULIPS WHEN WE GET TO

DECEMBER, BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS

THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT

OUTWEIGHS THOSE STRUGGLES AND

FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE

STILL TRYING TO FIND THEIR

FOOTING THAT THEY WOULD EVEN

ARGUE THAT THEY ARE BETTER OFF

BECAUSE THEY HAVE HOPE AND THEY

HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SIT IN

DIGNITY.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.