1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,000 Speaker 1: Hey, I'm Barraitune Day Thurston and this is how to 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,960 Speaker 1: citizen with Baritune Day in season two. We're talking about 3 00:00:09,000 --> 00:00:12,119 Speaker 1: the money, because, to be real, it is hard to 4 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 1: citizen when we can barely pay the bills. We've been 5 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: on this journey finding ways to make our economy work 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: for the people and allow us to do this thing 7 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,480 Speaker 1: that we call citizen in showing up for each other, 8 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: knowing our power, building a sistant that works for the 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:38,640 Speaker 1: many and not just the few. And we've talked about 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: a lot of new models of company ownership, of worker organizing, 11 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: of even publicly owned broadband networks to make that economy 12 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: that strengthens our democracy. There's one thing we haven't spent 13 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: a lot of time on. What if we just gave 14 00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 1: people money, Like seriously, just gave people money. That's it, 15 00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: no strings attached, no complications, Just give people money. And 16 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: we do it all the time. When those people are 17 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:14,720 Speaker 1: very wealthy or exist in the form of corporation, we 18 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: call them subsidies, we call them tax abatements. But when 19 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,959 Speaker 1: it comes to the individual human being just getting cash 20 00:01:22,160 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 1: from the government. In the United States of America, we 21 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,800 Speaker 1: don't even give out healthcare to individual human beings without 22 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 1: all kinds of strings attached. So straight up money that 23 00:01:33,600 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: seems like a hard sell in this very selfish economy. 24 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: This idea got a little more attention thanks to brother 25 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:50,320 Speaker 1: Andrew Yang. Now the first time you heard about me 26 00:01:50,360 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: in this campaign, you heard something like this. There's an 27 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,279 Speaker 1: Asian man running for president who wants to give everyone 28 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:58,920 Speaker 1: one thousand dollars a month. Remember that, Philadelphia, Oh, I 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: miss Andrew. I missed his entertaining contributions to the debate stage, 30 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: and I'm grateful for him elevating the idea of just 31 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: giving people money. Thank you, Andrew Yang for your service. 32 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: And some of us may have been aware of pilot 33 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:19,400 Speaker 1: programs in various cities or counties across the nation, But 34 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:23,720 Speaker 1: the biggest trial for this idea of giving people money 35 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: came thanks to covid as for those stimulus payments they're 36 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: expected to head out in the coming weeks, providing much 37 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 1: needed relief to tens of millions of eligible Americans. And 38 00:02:34,160 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: the money can't come soon enough. People learning seventy five 39 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:42,960 Speaker 1: dollars a year or less, we'll get twelve stimulus payments 40 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 1: for tens of millions of eligible Americans after one hundred 41 00:02:46,080 --> 00:02:50,359 Speaker 1: days of rescuing, Renewal America is ready for a takeoff. 42 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:58,440 Speaker 1: In my view, stimulus checks stimulus money, straight up cash 43 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 1: that we got to use, however we chose to do so. Yes, 44 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: stimmy repaid a person alone and then the balance for 45 00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:17,360 Speaker 1: her to dollars paid pre medication. My stimulus check helped 46 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: me to kick start a different career, and I really 47 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: appreciate it. Just more money on the kids, trying to 48 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:26,280 Speaker 1: do some more fun things and things that I wouldn't 49 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: normally do. Honestly, I think I bought a new guitar 50 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 1: the third check, I chose to spend half of it 51 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: on a vacation and then the other half went into 52 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: my savings account. So the pandemic showed us it was 53 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: possible to just give people money that maybe it was 54 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: never really a crazy idea to begin with, But what 55 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: happens after the pandemic when you follow through it on 56 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: a regular basis. How do you even do that? Where 57 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,040 Speaker 1: does the money come from, what will people spend it on? 58 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: Will people still work if you just give them money? 59 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: And what does this mean for this group of people 60 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: we call the working poor When they get a little 61 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: wiggle room a little breathing room, a little cash. What 62 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: does that mean for them? We've seen individuals to move 63 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: out of affordable housing. We've seen individuals going to home ownership. 64 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,120 Speaker 1: We've seen individuals pay off debt. But more importantly, the 65 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: piece that we've seen that we don't talk about enough, 66 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:29,359 Speaker 1: as we've seen Joy. My guest this week, Aisha and Yandoro, 67 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: is finding out after the break? What's up? Hi? Hi? 68 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,280 Speaker 1: How are you? I'm good? Thank you for being here. Yeah, no, 69 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: thank you for having me. Is the co founder and 70 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: CEO of Springboard to Opportunity, an organization in Jackson, Mississippi 71 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:58,680 Speaker 1: that connects families living in affordable housing with resources and 72 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: programs that help them advanced themselves in school and work 73 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: and in life. Well, let's start with you introducing yourself. Yeah, 74 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: I am i Asha Endoro and I'm the chief executive 75 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: officer of Springboards Opportunities based in Jackson, Mississippi. Bam, it's 76 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 1: like you've done that ten thousand times before. So, I Usha, 77 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: where did you grow up? I'm homegrown Goodness. I grew 78 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: up in Jackson, Mississippi, and I made the decision several 79 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: years ago to move back home and to grow where 80 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,599 Speaker 1: I was planted, because that was really instilled in me 81 00:05:31,760 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 1: that you go off, you do college, you learn, you 82 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: do all the things, but when it's really time to 83 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: get to the getting of doing the work, you go 84 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: home and you do the work that's necessary. You knew 85 00:05:42,520 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: you had to come back to Mississippi. Oh God, your 86 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 1: Mississippi is a beautiful place. You know. I have a 87 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: love love relationship with this place. You know, My Mississippi 88 00:05:52,120 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: is very different than the narrative that sometime told about 89 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:59,480 Speaker 1: Mississippi and not just sometimes sold. The narrative that unfortunately 90 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:02,479 Speaker 1: it's a out of our history in Mississippi, which is 91 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: our gym crow laws. In that history. You know, it's 92 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:08,080 Speaker 1: problematic from those who are on the outside looking in. 93 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:13,360 Speaker 1: But mine Mississippi is a place where joys and abundance. 94 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: Even in the midst of some of our darkest days. Um, 95 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: you still can find a fish fry in a space 96 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:26,400 Speaker 1: game and people laughing. Do you remember the moment that 97 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:31,080 Speaker 1: inspired you to get into community psychology. I always knew 98 00:06:31,200 --> 00:06:35,279 Speaker 1: that I wanted to do community programming and support and 99 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,880 Speaker 1: organizing just about virtue of who my family, UM is. So, 100 00:06:38,960 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: my grandmother was a veteran of the civil rights movement. 101 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 1: So you know, I really grew up at her feet 102 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,520 Speaker 1: and at the feet of her friends. That's listening to 103 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 1: them really talk about how you work in community and 104 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,839 Speaker 1: how you respect people, and what dignity looks like, and 105 00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: how you don't do anything for a community without the community. 106 00:06:57,880 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: And so it's being very very clear, um about that 107 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,600 Speaker 1: reality at a very early age. And I remember my 108 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:07,000 Speaker 1: first year in graduate school, we were sitting around a 109 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: table and everybody was talking about what they wanted to 110 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: be when they grow up in their you know, hopeful 111 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: career trajectory, and all of my colleagues wanted to go 112 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:18,360 Speaker 1: into academia and have a tenured career in all of that. 113 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: And I was very clear, it's like, you know, I 114 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: want to run a nonprofit. And my professor said to me, well, 115 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 1: you don't need a doctorate to run a nonprofit. And 116 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, not to do it at the 117 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: level in which I want to do it being a 118 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: black woman, Yes, I do, because y'all learned ready Yet 119 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:36,080 Speaker 1: in this country you said they weren't ready. What were 120 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: they not ready for? Oh, they weren't ready for a 121 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:41,640 Speaker 1: black woman from Mississippi with plans to take over the 122 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:48,360 Speaker 1: world and change systems and narratives and ideas, and how 123 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:50,680 Speaker 1: we view poverty and how we talk about poverty, and 124 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: how we talk about poor black women, and how we 125 00:07:53,560 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: are going to really center the needs of poor black 126 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: women into our conversations about change in equity. They weren't 127 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:03,720 Speaker 1: ready for all of that, and you know, I wasn't 128 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: ready for that either, But all of the work in 129 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: the past has prepared me for the moment. Now. Yeah, yeah, 130 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,280 Speaker 1: we're gonna get into that. We're gonna get into that, 131 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: But first I want you to take me back to 132 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: the moment that you finished your schooling. Where did you go? 133 00:08:20,240 --> 00:08:23,120 Speaker 1: How did you start doing this work? Oh, it's like 134 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: a magical carpet ride of stuff I've not thought about 135 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: in the years. Um after leaving academia, I work in 136 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: philanthropy because I was still under the impression that philanthropy 137 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: was how you solved all the problems in the world. 138 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:42,400 Speaker 1: And I quickly learned that it's not really how you 139 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:44,400 Speaker 1: solve all the problems in the world, and then sometimes 140 00:08:44,440 --> 00:08:47,800 Speaker 1: it creates more problems. But not only that. For me, 141 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: I did not like how I showed up as a philanthropist. 142 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: The power dynamic of what they looked like at the time, 143 00:08:55,360 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 1: I wasn't mature enough to have that responsibility. What is 144 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: that power dynamic that you felt? So for me, the 145 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: power dynamic was, you know, I have this thing that 146 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 1: you want, which is money, UM, and you have to 147 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 1: show up and perform a certain way in order to 148 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: get the money point blank period, dance for your suffer, sing, dance, jingle, 149 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: whatever it is. UM. You know, I'm not trying to 150 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: throw the entire sector under the bus. But with my 151 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,440 Speaker 1: self awareness, UM, I recognized that I was just not 152 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: mature enough to deal with that and I needed to 153 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:34,080 Speaker 1: do something different. How did you first learn about Springboard 154 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: to Opportunities and when did you start working there? I 155 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: have to start Springboard to Opportunities. It wasn't a thing 156 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: before me. So you are the founder and the CEO. 157 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: So that's the thing. I never caught myself the founder 158 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:48,079 Speaker 1: of Springboard because there were so many others involved. And 159 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: how it all came to be the way all of 160 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: this happened. It is years ago. I was on the 161 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:59,560 Speaker 1: board of the Women's Foundation here in Mississippi and this 162 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 1: house developer who was not from Mississippi but had some 163 00:10:03,000 --> 00:10:06,160 Speaker 1: properties and communities in Mississippi and was trying to figure 164 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:08,200 Speaker 1: out how to do something in there. Cane and spoke 165 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,120 Speaker 1: to the board about what it was that he felt 166 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:13,120 Speaker 1: was necessary. So he and I had a conversation. But 167 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:14,720 Speaker 1: I told him, I was like, you know, I'm intrigued 168 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: about what it is that you're trying to do to 169 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:21,040 Speaker 1: provide different services for families and affordable housing. I was like, 170 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 1: but you don't know what you're doing. And he was like, hmm, 171 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,000 Speaker 1: maybe you're right, Maybe you should come help me figure 172 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 1: out what I'm doing. And I was like, h I 173 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: am now intrigued. In my family that I was crazy 174 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:39,560 Speaker 1: because my oldest son was a baby at the time, 175 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:41,600 Speaker 1: and they were like, you're going to leave your good 176 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 1: job to go start a thing that may not be 177 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,320 Speaker 1: a thing you don't really know what it is. And 178 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:48,960 Speaker 1: I was like, you know, I'm going to leave my 179 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: good job to stuff I don't fake and trust this opportunity. 180 00:10:53,960 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: And so before we started Springboard, I spent months talking 181 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: to neds in affordable housing about what their dreams were, 182 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: their needs, their challenges to um really trying to learn 183 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,640 Speaker 1: directly from them, and about eight months until the learning 184 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: we realize that for families that live in extreme poverty, 185 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:17,959 Speaker 1: there was not an organization actually centering their needs into 186 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:25,920 Speaker 1: the conversations. So define briefly for me the mission of 187 00:11:25,960 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: Springboard to opportunity. Yeah, Springboard provides programs and services for 188 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: families that lift and federally subsidized affordable housing to help 189 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 1: them advance in life, school, and work. And how does 190 00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: Springboard do this? So many ways? Um, we are a 191 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:47,320 Speaker 1: resident service provider. We take a holistic approach to our 192 00:11:47,320 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: programs and services, so we do everything from after school programs, 193 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: We have food pantries on site, we do cash disperseness, 194 00:11:57,280 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: emergency cash disperseness, we have guaranteed and Um, who are 195 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: the families that you serve in the community. Yeah, the 196 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: majority of the families that we serve our black moms 197 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: and their kids. About ninety eight percent of our population 198 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:14,719 Speaker 1: are single, not married mothers living in extreme poverty. So 199 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,079 Speaker 1: all of our families make less than twelve thousand dollars annually. 200 00:12:18,440 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: The majority of our families do work, but they live 201 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: in a state where are federal minimum wage is still 202 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: seven dollars and twenty five cents an hour, So you know, 203 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:29,240 Speaker 1: you can work a full time job, but at that 204 00:12:29,280 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 1: wage you are still living in extreme poverty. You said 205 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: it was it was important to center the needs of 206 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,320 Speaker 1: the community. What is the opposite of that what we 207 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 1: have now? It is this top down approach to policy 208 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:46,960 Speaker 1: that really is not reflective of the realities of what 209 00:12:47,040 --> 00:12:50,640 Speaker 1: it means to live in poverty in this country. It 210 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:54,240 Speaker 1: is programs and designs that have all of these stipulations, 211 00:12:54,280 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: impunitive aspects, um that really take away the dignity of 212 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:03,320 Speaker 1: individuals who are needing a lot of the support in 213 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:08,079 Speaker 1: order to not just sustain themselves, but to sustain their families. 214 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,719 Speaker 1: And so it was all of these consequences to your 215 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: behavior or all of these people telling you what you 216 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: had to do, what you had not to do, but 217 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: there was never anyone saying, you know, what are you 218 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: dreaming about? What are you hoping for? How can we 219 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,920 Speaker 1: support you and getting to those hopes and those dreams. 220 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: And so when we realized that, um, it was like, Okay, 221 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 1: we have to start an organization because no one is 222 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:33,719 Speaker 1: doing what it is that we are saying. It's purposely 223 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: needed to in the cycle of generational poverty, which is 224 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,880 Speaker 1: the center the needs of families. So and That's why, 225 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: you know, we say that we are radically resident driven 226 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:46,880 Speaker 1: because every program, every service, everything that we do as 227 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:49,839 Speaker 1: an organization, we only do it if our families say 228 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: is what they need to be successful in life, school, 229 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: and work. Radical and simple to ask people what they need? 230 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:01,959 Speaker 1: I know, right, we should do it more, but our 231 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:05,080 Speaker 1: ego doesn't allow us to do that because we want 232 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: to be included and two individual stories about their life 233 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: and their change. You know, whenever you see these movies, 234 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 1: there's always a hero or heroin um who was involved 235 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: and somebody's miraculous transition. So as ego mhm. So in 236 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:27,600 Speaker 1: Springboard to Opportunities, you decided to ask families living in 237 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 1: poverty what they needed, what they dreamed of, what they 238 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: hoped for. And you asked these questions because no one 239 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: else was asking these questions. What were the questions others 240 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: were asking of these families? They weren't asking him anything, 241 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 1: So how were they interacting? What did that look like? 242 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: I am going to tell you you need X y Z. 243 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: I am going to tell you you have to do 244 00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: X y Z. I am going to tell you you 245 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: need financial literacy because I believe that poor folks don't 246 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: know how to manage their money. I am going to 247 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: tell you that you need parenting classes because I believe 248 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 1: that poor people don't know how to parent their kids. 249 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:11,400 Speaker 1: There's never a conversation because we truly do believe that 250 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: there is this moralism associated with poverty, where we believe 251 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 1: that individuals who are poor are bad people, or they're 252 00:15:18,440 --> 00:15:21,840 Speaker 1: not capable people, they're not as smart as and we 253 00:15:21,920 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: truly believe that we have to tell them what it 254 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: is that they need um in order for them to 255 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: be successful. I remember when we were starting Springboard to 256 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: Opportunities and I was talking to one of my colleagues 257 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:32,920 Speaker 1: about what we were doing, and I was all excited. 258 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: I was like, it's gonna be so cool as we're 259 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: centering residents and we're only gonna do with the families 260 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,520 Speaker 1: need and did it. I'm all jazzed up. And he 261 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,840 Speaker 1: looked at me and was so well intended. He was like, well, 262 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: that doesn't make any sense, and then he started quoting 263 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,640 Speaker 1: forward and he was like, you know, when Henry Ford 264 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 1: was doing the car fit acted people what they needed, 265 00:15:51,720 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 1: they would have said a faster horse. And I was like, 266 00:15:54,640 --> 00:15:59,200 Speaker 1: that's S nine. But so many people believe that um, 267 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: So many people will believe that the way that we 268 00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: get to change is creating a thing, doing a thing, 269 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: and then inviting those with whom that being is designed for, 270 00:16:12,160 --> 00:16:16,000 Speaker 1: and then we get upset when they don't participate. What 271 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: stories stand out when you learn from people what they 272 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: say they need? Oh gosh, so many and it is 273 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: so heartbreaking because the needs are so small, but we 274 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:37,960 Speaker 1: just never pause to ask needs as far as needing diapers, 275 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: needing opportunities to go back to school, needing to figure out, okay, 276 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 1: how do you actually get out of affordable house? And like, 277 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 1: I'm here, now, what's the pathway out? Because I can't 278 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: figure out the pathway out. One of the moms that 279 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 1: I talked to when we started Springboard with some momiting Thou, 280 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: who had lived in one of the affordable housing communities 281 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: for over thirty years. She moved there when she was three, 282 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:04,639 Speaker 1: and of course she never thought she would end up 283 00:17:04,680 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 1: living there as long as she did. She always thought 284 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:10,280 Speaker 1: that when she turned eighteen that she would move out, 285 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 1: and it just never happened. In I remember her saying 286 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: to me, it's like, you know, I never had my moment. 287 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:21,399 Speaker 1: And then I realized that moments don't happen for poor people. 288 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,880 Speaker 1: And I was like, oh, and that's what ends up happening. 289 00:17:30,040 --> 00:17:34,159 Speaker 1: You have a life for folks are not allowed to 290 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: dream because so many times when they do dream, as 291 00:17:38,480 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: those dreams continued to be um snuffed out, and there 292 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: those dreams continue to be unfulfilled. It gets to a 293 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 1: place where it has to be a defense mechanism for 294 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:50,280 Speaker 1: you not to dream, because how else do you continue 295 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: to survive and how else do you continue to make 296 00:17:53,040 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: it through it with We'll be right back when you 297 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:15,200 Speaker 1: started Springboard to Opportunity. What were some of the first 298 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:17,719 Speaker 1: programs you tried out. The very first program we did 299 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:20,240 Speaker 1: was after school program and that was because that's what 300 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:22,280 Speaker 1: our farms told us they needed. They said they needed 301 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: a safe place for their kids to go after school. 302 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: So we were like, okay, we're helping to do this 303 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,159 Speaker 1: after school program. We're partnering with the local school. Is 304 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 1: going to run this many hours? Well, okay, when it's over, 305 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:36,480 Speaker 1: if parents can't get there to get their kids, so 306 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 1: we need to try to do a walking school bus 307 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: and what does that look like? And we didn't need 308 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 1: to do any of that. The moms did it themselves, 309 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,520 Speaker 1: so you know, we had moms who would call and 310 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 1: make sure that their neighbors kids could be picked up, 311 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 1: and if not, they took it upon themselves to make 312 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: sure they picked up their neighbors kids. They stelf organized 313 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:57,800 Speaker 1: and did all of that themselves. And they didn't need 314 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:01,760 Speaker 1: us to address the house or to address any of 315 00:19:01,800 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: the potential challenges. They just needed us to provide the thing. 316 00:19:05,680 --> 00:19:08,439 Speaker 1: And the thing was after school program, so they just 317 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,800 Speaker 1: needed us to do that, and we were trying to 318 00:19:10,840 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 1: do everything else. Yeah, and it sounds like, you know 319 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:20,919 Speaker 1: this lesson you've already talked about of listening to the 320 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: needs of the people you're trying to serve, taking yourself 321 00:19:25,560 --> 00:19:29,479 Speaker 1: out of it. You know, you assumed they would need 322 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,480 Speaker 1: a walk in school bus. You assumed they would need X, Y, 323 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: and Z on top two filling gaps that you assumed 324 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: would exist. And they're like, no, no no, no, we said 325 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:41,919 Speaker 1: we needed childcare. Thank you, We got the rest of 326 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:45,560 Speaker 1: this and now get out the way. And I'm like, 327 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: thank you for freeing me up to get out the way. 328 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:52,600 Speaker 1: You go, you know, raise this money to do other stuff. Yeah, well, 329 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: I want to talk about the other stuff. I want 330 00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:59,560 Speaker 1: to talk about what is universal basic income or guaranteed 331 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: income to you, Oh, it's my favorite thing in life 332 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: right now, besides your children, I assume yeah, yeah, those too, 333 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 1: those babies too. Um So, universal basic income and guaranteed 334 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,240 Speaker 1: income are two different things. Universal basic income it's universality 335 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:22,159 Speaker 1: is everybody gets a check. Guaranteed income is more targeted. 336 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: Is typically designed to um support the needs of those 337 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: who have been most marginalized or those who have the 338 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: largest needs. Um And it's cash without restrictions that is 339 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 1: turn limited and it's very specific to a specific population. 340 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: What are you working with right now? Guaranteed income? So 341 00:20:44,119 --> 00:20:48,440 Speaker 1: Macmillian Mothers Trust as the first and only guaranteed income 342 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:51,480 Speaker 1: project in this country that takes a racial and gender 343 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: equity approach to our conversations about wealth and equities. It 344 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 1: provides a thousand dollars a month, twelve months and no 345 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: strings attached, extremely low income black mother's. Where does that 346 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,640 Speaker 1: name come from? First of all, so that name comes 347 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:09,240 Speaker 1: from a couple of places. So magnolia is the Mississippi 348 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,199 Speaker 1: state flower, but it was also my grandmother's savorite flower. 349 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:16,360 Speaker 1: So and not to my maternal grandmother and the mother's 350 00:21:17,520 --> 00:21:20,040 Speaker 1: mothers who we work with, and trust. For us, it 351 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:22,800 Speaker 1: really is about trusting our moms to know whenness that 352 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:25,639 Speaker 1: they needs was the Magnolia Mother's Trust. And I was 353 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: laughing earlier because she was like, I'm sure you love it, Um, 354 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 1: you know your kids more. And I was like, you know, 355 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: it's sort of like my third baby, because I started 356 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 1: thinking about the Magnolian Mother's Trust when I was pregnant 357 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,520 Speaker 1: with my second child, and the entire design and finality 358 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,200 Speaker 1: of the program I did when I was on maternity leave. 359 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:49,359 Speaker 1: So my son and I we would be would be 360 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: bench watching Game of Thrones while he was sleeping and 361 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:56,440 Speaker 1: typing up the model at the program design from Magnolian 362 00:21:56,440 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: Mother's Trust. When was your third child born? The Magnolia 363 00:22:01,400 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: Mother's Druss two thousand and eighteen UM. So we started 364 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: thinking about the work in two thousand and seventeen and 365 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: we launched the first pilot December with twenty mothers, twenty 366 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: black mothers receiving a thousand dollars a month for twelve months, 367 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 1: no strings attached, and what happens at the end of 368 00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,400 Speaker 1: the twelve months in your experience so far as you've 369 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:25,400 Speaker 1: been through this a few times, the magic um that 370 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:31,359 Speaker 1: has continued to unfold and manifest has just been amazing. 371 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: We've seen individuals move out of before the housing. We've 372 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:40,840 Speaker 1: seen individuals going to home ownership. We've seen individuals pay 373 00:22:40,880 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: off debt, have savings. We've seen moms saved that for 374 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: the first time they actually feel like a good mom 375 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:50,040 Speaker 1: because they can now provide another once for their kids, 376 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: not just addressing the needs. They're able to put plans 377 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: in place for the future, but more importantly, the piece 378 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: that we've seen that we don't talk about enough. As 379 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:02,840 Speaker 1: we've seen joy, We've seen women be able to show 380 00:23:02,960 --> 00:23:06,520 Speaker 1: up and have the bandwidth to not constantly level the 381 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,800 Speaker 1: scarcity mindset that they can actually plan for themselves in 382 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: the future. And so individuals are able to show up 383 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 1: differently in their lives, which means that they're able to 384 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,680 Speaker 1: show up differently for their families, which means that they 385 00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: now have the bandwidth to participate in p t A 386 00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: or city council meetings, that they now can have the 387 00:23:26,359 --> 00:23:28,840 Speaker 1: ability to think about, Okay, what does it mean to 388 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:32,159 Speaker 1: be a community advocate for the first time and what 389 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:38,679 Speaker 1: does it mean to use my voice? Can you share 390 00:23:38,760 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 1: any of these stories of joy from your program? Participants 391 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 1: that stand out to you. Oh yeah, definitely. I remember 392 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: one of our mom's called me and she was so 393 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:53,119 Speaker 1: happy and happy. It was not one of the adjectives 394 00:23:53,119 --> 00:23:55,680 Speaker 1: that I would use to describe her. And she talked 395 00:23:55,720 --> 00:23:57,920 Speaker 1: about how she was happy because for the first time 396 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:01,679 Speaker 1: she had hope and she could actually think about what 397 00:24:01,840 --> 00:24:04,320 Speaker 1: she wanted. She could see a path for herself outside 398 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:07,320 Speaker 1: of affordable housing. She had not worked for years because 399 00:24:07,320 --> 00:24:10,840 Speaker 1: she felt stuck, and you know, over the course of 400 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: her year getting guaranteed income, she went and got a job, 401 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:16,159 Speaker 1: and she got a job because she said, for the 402 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:18,600 Speaker 1: first time she could see a pathway forward and that 403 00:24:18,720 --> 00:24:22,399 Speaker 1: pathway forward made her hopeful. So that's one of our moms. 404 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 1: One of our moms went doing the pandemic and became 405 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: a paramedic. She was like, I always wanted to be 406 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 1: a paramedic. They need paramedics now. I'm like, yes, they 407 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:38,520 Speaker 1: do need paramedics now, and so they're all of those things. Um. 408 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: One of our mom's, Tunisia, used to always talk about 409 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: wanting a house with a garage because she just wanted 410 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: to be able to pull her truck of in her 411 00:24:48,560 --> 00:24:50,639 Speaker 1: garage and nobody knew she was at home if she 412 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: didn't want to be bothered, and so she got her 413 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: house with a garage so no one would know she 414 00:24:55,600 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: was at home. So, you know, just different ways in 415 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: which they are able to live out loud some of 416 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: their dreams that they possibly have put on a shell. 417 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 1: You sound so full of joy recalling their stories of joy. 418 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 1: How they make me so happy because it's you know, 419 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:16,359 Speaker 1: it's so simple. Oh my gosh, it's so simple. Um, 420 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,000 Speaker 1: but we complicated so much, so it does it makes me. 421 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: It makes me really happy that we have been able 422 00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: to not just leave the work for our families so 423 00:25:26,760 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: but then also to be engaged in some of the 424 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:33,840 Speaker 1: national conversations about the importance of cash and about you know, 425 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:37,359 Speaker 1: yes we can trust poor people, Yes we can trust 426 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 1: poor black mothers. Does guaranteed income in hindsight feel obvious 427 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:48,560 Speaker 1: to you? Oh God, yes, Jess, yeah, yeah. Just giving 428 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: people money, yes, in hindsight, is sol so obvious in hindsight. 429 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,240 Speaker 1: I'm like, why haven't we been to us forever? When 430 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:58,240 Speaker 1: my mom's first started talking to me about needing money 431 00:25:58,320 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: in two thousand and seventeen, and a lot of their 432 00:26:00,359 --> 00:26:04,000 Speaker 1: challenges were connected to the lack of access of cash. 433 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: It put me down this rabbit hole of research where 434 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, how do you go about getting 435 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 1: people money? Because I have not heard universal basic income 436 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 1: prior to the conversations with my mom's that are prior 437 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 1: to trying to figure out how to address that need. 438 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:20,399 Speaker 1: And so when I first discovered universal basic income, off like, 439 00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:24,800 Speaker 1: this is so simple, Yes, we should do this, let's 440 00:26:24,840 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 1: go do it. And I was naive and not realizing 441 00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:32,240 Speaker 1: how should we complicated? It was to just give people money? 442 00:26:32,640 --> 00:26:37,680 Speaker 1: Why is it complicated? Oh gosh, Oh, it's complicated because 443 00:26:37,720 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 1: of us. Um, it's complicated because of us. Unfortunately, we 444 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:47,120 Speaker 1: just our moralism as it relates to poverty has set 445 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: us up so where we don't trust poor people. Um. 446 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:52,720 Speaker 1: We really have told ourselves these stories in this narrative 447 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:55,200 Speaker 1: that people are poor because they want to be poor. 448 00:26:57,600 --> 00:27:01,560 Speaker 1: We have not looked at or examined the systems that 449 00:27:01,760 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: make it virtually impossible for individuals to um move up 450 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: the economic ladder if they are poor. We have not 451 00:27:08,920 --> 00:27:12,120 Speaker 1: had conversations about how our social safety that is punitive. 452 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:17,040 Speaker 1: Whenever your income increases, your benefits automatically decrease. You are 453 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,040 Speaker 1: constantly having to prove that you're poor enough to need support. 454 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:24,720 Speaker 1: And I think that that is intentionally designed that way 455 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,679 Speaker 1: in order to keep people in their place, keeping you 456 00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: from wanting anything more, keeping you or I'm having hopes 457 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: and dreams about the future. Um. And so we don't 458 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,159 Speaker 1: have those conversations. We just say that, oh, you know, 459 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: individuals don't want to work more, or they you know, 460 00:27:43,440 --> 00:27:47,160 Speaker 1: should work harder, or they should work better jobs. How 461 00:27:47,200 --> 00:27:49,639 Speaker 1: are you supposed to work harder if you already have 462 00:27:49,680 --> 00:27:52,400 Speaker 1: three jobs? How are you supposed to get a better 463 00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: job when in this country we are continuously pricing people 464 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 1: out of higher education. How are you supposed to make 465 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:01,960 Speaker 1: better way? Just when we're paying people seven dollars and 466 00:28:01,960 --> 00:28:08,399 Speaker 1: twenty five cents an hour. Still, so we don't examine 467 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:13,040 Speaker 1: our role in these feeds. We just pushed these realities 468 00:28:13,080 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: and tell our sex these and narratives that the fault 469 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: are of the individuals who necessarily of experience. So that's 470 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:22,640 Speaker 1: why it's hard. That's the one reason why it's hard. 471 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: And then the other reason why it's hard, um is 472 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:27,919 Speaker 1: when we started doing this work into the outhan and eighteen, 473 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:30,720 Speaker 1: you know, it was not sexy. Folks were like, oh, 474 00:28:30,720 --> 00:28:33,919 Speaker 1: my god, you are going to give black woman money? What? 475 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 1: And I was like, yeah, why not? Well, how are 476 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: you gonna make sure they don't have more babies? And 477 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 1: how are you gonna make sure folks aren't using it 478 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:48,440 Speaker 1: on drugs? And how are you going to make sure 479 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: they're not committed to their boyfriends and all of these 480 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:54,440 Speaker 1: things where I was like, where is the data on this? 481 00:28:55,200 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: And why are you inserting your isms into these conversations 482 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 1: without recognizing the possibilities. And then also it's hard. You know, 483 00:29:05,520 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: once again, I am a black woman in the South. 484 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: Um less than one percent of philanthropy rolls through the South. 485 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: Of that one percent, less than one percent goes to 486 00:29:16,120 --> 00:29:19,719 Speaker 1: organizations that are led by women of color. Were of 487 00:29:19,760 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 1: the one percent, how do you feel it depends on 488 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,760 Speaker 1: the day of a week. Yeah, it depends on the 489 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 1: day of a week. You know, now that this pandemic 490 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,480 Speaker 1: has happened, we're having a lot more conversations about equity, 491 00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 1: and we're seeing that life for individuals are a lot 492 00:29:41,400 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: more precarious and a lot of us would have liked 493 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:45,560 Speaker 1: to realize and a lot of us want to have 494 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 1: honest conversations about so a lot of the pieces that myself, 495 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:51,920 Speaker 1: to my colleagues and other friends have been talking about 496 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: for years as it relates to how precarious our social 497 00:29:55,640 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: safety net us. A lot of folks are actually now 498 00:29:57,560 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 1: seeing that. So in this moment that you know, I'm like, oh, 499 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:04,040 Speaker 1: I feel pretty good because we have been doing this 500 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 1: thing for years that now other individuals are trying to 501 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:11,320 Speaker 1: do and can learn from and those pieces. But at 502 00:30:11,360 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 1: the same time, I'm sad and I'm exhausted. It took 503 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:17,440 Speaker 1: for a pandemic for us to get to the place 504 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:22,080 Speaker 1: where we could have conversations about giving people money without restrictions. UM. 505 00:30:22,320 --> 00:30:26,680 Speaker 1: I am sad and exhausted that in building the work 506 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:31,479 Speaker 1: of the Magnolian Mother's Trust, the amount of truly racist 507 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:34,960 Speaker 1: conversations that I had to have in order to build 508 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 1: the case for the women that I work with, UM 509 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,040 Speaker 1: was some of the hardest work I've ever done. I 510 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: don't know if I could do it again. I have 511 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 1: to think about protecting my mental health because I do 512 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,160 Speaker 1: have babies that I have to take care of, and 513 00:30:47,200 --> 00:30:49,080 Speaker 1: so I don't know if that's something that I could 514 00:30:49,080 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: do again. Because it got to the place where it 515 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:55,280 Speaker 1: was constantly A cost benefit analysis of how much racism 516 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: and sexism am I willing to put up with today 517 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: in doing this work? Yeah? I don't want to re 518 00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,400 Speaker 1: traumatize you, So feel free to tap out on this. 519 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: But if you're able and willing, can you give me 520 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:16,520 Speaker 1: a flavor of that racist and or sexist conversation that 521 00:31:16,600 --> 00:31:20,080 Speaker 1: you were subject to. It's not that's the thing. It's 522 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: not one. It wasn't one conversation. Um, it was multiple 523 00:31:25,480 --> 00:31:29,280 Speaker 1: conversations with various thunders about what it was that we 524 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: were trying to do and what it was that we 525 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:33,720 Speaker 1: were trying to build. I think if it had been 526 00:31:33,760 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: one conversation that would have been like, all right, you 527 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:38,760 Speaker 1: know it's not okay, but you know we could figure 528 00:31:38,800 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 1: that out. But it was the constant reminder of how 529 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: black women are truly viewed in this country. So you 530 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:52,000 Speaker 1: show up Magnolia, mother's trust is in the building, pay 531 00:31:52,080 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 1: me so we can pay these women. And in the 532 00:31:54,960 --> 00:32:00,360 Speaker 1: response is it's two conversations. So it's the rest bonds 533 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: pre COVID and a response post COVID pre COVID. Uh, 534 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,200 Speaker 1: we can't do that. You can't just give people money. 535 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:12,560 Speaker 1: What's the program, what's the thing? It's in a fellowship. 536 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: It's the respectability politics. How are you going to police 537 00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:19,080 Speaker 1: these individuals in this money? You know? Are you going 538 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 1: to tell them what to do? Are you making them 539 00:32:20,720 --> 00:32:23,760 Speaker 1: do financial literacy? Are you making them show your receipts? 540 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 1: So you know, it was all of those things. And 541 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:32,120 Speaker 1: so that was pre COVID conversations. Now post COVID, and 542 00:32:32,280 --> 00:32:35,160 Speaker 1: everyone is having conversations about guaranteed and come in the 543 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:37,800 Speaker 1: simplicity of giving people cash and the fact that we 544 00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:41,320 Speaker 1: need cash. Um. And now I show up and it's like, hey, magnolian, 545 00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:44,360 Speaker 1: mother's trust us in the building, and it's like, let 546 00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:48,440 Speaker 1: us give you all this manner from heaven. We're gonna 547 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: liberate the capital. And I'm like, you know what, I'm 548 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: going to take your liberated capital. Thank you very much 549 00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,080 Speaker 1: because you now recognize that people need money. And I 550 00:32:57,120 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 1: have a whole program in which you can give people money. 551 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:04,880 Speaker 1: So let's do it. And so so the money that's 552 00:33:05,320 --> 00:33:07,880 Speaker 1: on the other side of the checks, the monthly checks, 553 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,800 Speaker 1: is that coming from foundations, Is it coming from wealthy individuals? 554 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: Is it coming from corporations? Like where's the pile of 555 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 1: money coming from wealthy individuals? For the most part, But 556 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:20,520 Speaker 1: the question is, I don't even know if I wanted 557 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 1: to be sustained. I don't feel like guaranteed income in 558 00:33:23,400 --> 00:33:25,680 Speaker 1: the way anyone is doing it. It's something that can 559 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: be sustained by philanthropy in and of itself. I really 560 00:33:29,080 --> 00:33:31,880 Speaker 1: do think that philanthropies role in all of us who 561 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:33,760 Speaker 1: are doing this work. I think our role is to 562 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: get enough data out there and I have enough conversations 563 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,520 Speaker 1: about the importance of cash so that we can push 564 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:45,360 Speaker 1: federal policies. UM. So that's what I feel like. Guaranteed 565 00:33:45,400 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 1: income and philanthropy. That's really the bigger ecosystem of how 566 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:53,400 Speaker 1: all of this is supposed to work. So what do 567 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 1: you see as the future of the Magnolia Mother's Trust 568 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 1: and this guaranteed income program? I see a couple of 569 00:34:01,160 --> 00:34:04,440 Speaker 1: different things. So we are currently in our third year 570 00:34:04,640 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 1: of the work. We just launched the next cohort. We 571 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,520 Speaker 1: now in effect have supported two hundred and thirty families 572 00:34:11,560 --> 00:34:14,360 Speaker 1: with the guaranteed income. I know, we started from the bottom. 573 00:34:14,360 --> 00:34:19,600 Speaker 1: Now we're here, so we're excited about that. We are 574 00:34:19,640 --> 00:34:22,799 Speaker 1: also providing children savings accounts for the moms because we're 575 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: supporting the whole family. We're also excited about quite frankly, 576 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:28,960 Speaker 1: this work that we're going to as it relates to 577 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:32,600 Speaker 1: really narrative and the conversations that we tell ourselves about 578 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:36,600 Speaker 1: poverty and who we center in those conversations. Um, we 579 00:34:36,680 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 1: have been saying that we're going to change the narrative 580 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:42,839 Speaker 1: by changing the narrator, so we are really supporting our 581 00:34:42,960 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: moms and becoming storytellers and providing them the resources and 582 00:34:46,600 --> 00:34:48,840 Speaker 1: the support that they need to tell their own stories. 583 00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 1: I feel that it's really time for us to begin 584 00:34:52,239 --> 00:34:56,600 Speaker 1: to see the mom's more. I think that's important as 585 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:59,080 Speaker 1: we talk about policy, because the only way that we're 586 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:01,360 Speaker 1: going to change these policy so it is if we 587 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: change hearts, and the only way we do that is 588 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:07,280 Speaker 1: by making sure that we actually all know each other. Yeah, 589 00:35:07,760 --> 00:35:14,520 Speaker 1: if we had widespread adoption of a universal basic income 590 00:35:14,600 --> 00:35:19,200 Speaker 1: for everybody, or widespread adoption of guaranteed incomes on a 591 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:25,439 Speaker 1: national scale, what do you think that would look like? Gosh, 592 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:31,680 Speaker 1: I think if we had adoption of a widespread guaranteed 593 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:34,799 Speaker 1: income on a national scale, I think that that will 594 00:35:34,880 --> 00:35:39,240 Speaker 1: look like us finally eradicating poverty. I think that would 595 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:42,640 Speaker 1: look like us having healthier families. I think that would 596 00:35:42,640 --> 00:35:45,919 Speaker 1: look like us having healthier kids. I think that would 597 00:35:45,960 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 1: look like us finally looking like the greatest nation in 598 00:35:50,200 --> 00:35:54,560 Speaker 1: the world. I think that would change the trajectory of 599 00:35:55,960 --> 00:36:00,120 Speaker 1: our future, not just for some before, an entire country. 600 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 1: That's all. I think that's enough that we can if 601 00:36:07,200 --> 00:36:09,480 Speaker 1: we can, as we get saide of poverty. You know, 602 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 1: we've been working at them for years. So if we 603 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:17,759 Speaker 1: can stive that one. Oh my goodness, thank you, thank you, 604 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:23,120 Speaker 1: thank you. This has been inspiring, revealing and such a 605 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:26,319 Speaker 1: good use of time. Thank you so much. Thank you. 606 00:36:26,520 --> 00:36:29,640 Speaker 1: That's a whole lot You've You've brought a whole lot. 607 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:40,160 Speaker 1: I'm really am grateful. Thank you so much. MH. So, 608 00:36:40,280 --> 00:36:46,680 Speaker 1: what happens when you give people money? For folks in 609 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,600 Speaker 1: the pandemic those stimulus checks, man catching up on rent payments, 610 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:55,360 Speaker 1: fixing cars, buying groceries for your family, signing up for 611 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,240 Speaker 1: an online class. We're donating to organizations you care about, 612 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: maybe even a opting a pet to make that quarantine 613 00:37:02,320 --> 00:37:06,640 Speaker 1: life a little less quarantine. For the members of the 614 00:37:06,640 --> 00:37:10,200 Speaker 1: Magnolia Mother's Trust. It could mean all of those things, 615 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:14,120 Speaker 1: but what it also meant has given people a chance 616 00:37:14,160 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 1: to dream, the space to dream that is worth so 617 00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,880 Speaker 1: much when you think about who has the resources, the time, 618 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:26,759 Speaker 1: and the privilege to dream up something different than what 619 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,920 Speaker 1: they are living. That's the privilege reserved for those of 620 00:37:30,960 --> 00:37:34,400 Speaker 1: certain means, and it's a privilege that could and should 621 00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: be extended through programs like guaranteed income or just giving 622 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:56,160 Speaker 1: people money. Because we see the word citizen as a 623 00:37:56,239 --> 00:38:00,880 Speaker 1: verb that involves doing things. So here's our ducer, Stephanie, 624 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 1: with some things you can do. Consider the commonly told 625 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:10,239 Speaker 1: stories you've heard about poverty in America, stories like poor 626 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:14,200 Speaker 1: people are poor because of bad choices, poor folks aren't educated, 627 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,800 Speaker 1: and never gives bare change to a homeless person because 628 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:22,279 Speaker 1: they'll use it on drugs. Now flip those stories. Think 629 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,880 Speaker 1: about the systems at play that keep people poor, things 630 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:30,600 Speaker 1: like doctor prescribed opioids, redlining, and social welfare programs with 631 00:38:30,680 --> 00:38:37,399 Speaker 1: unrealistic thresholds. Who's benefiting from these misleading narratives? Next, look 632 00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:41,960 Speaker 1: into other models. Universal basic income and guaranteed income have 633 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:45,520 Speaker 1: both been tested in a few different countries, regions, cities, 634 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:48,840 Speaker 1: and towns, So do some reading and find out what 635 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: the economists say about these programs. Will link to some 636 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,040 Speaker 1: articles you can read in the show notes, including findings 637 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:59,800 Speaker 1: from the most recent UBI experiment in Stockton, California, and 638 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:03,879 Speaker 1: finally got some capital you're looking to liberate this one 639 00:39:04,080 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 1: is simple. Donate to Magnolia Mother's Trust. Check out springboard 640 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:12,120 Speaker 1: too dot org to find out how. If you like 641 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:15,359 Speaker 1: U b I, then consider getting involved with others through 642 00:39:15,360 --> 00:39:18,719 Speaker 1: the income movement. Again, we'll provide a link in the 643 00:39:18,719 --> 00:39:22,120 Speaker 1: show notes for ways you can get involved. If you 644 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:25,360 Speaker 1: take any of these actions, please brag about yourself online 645 00:39:25,400 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 1: 's gonna hashtag how to Citizen and send us general 646 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:32,080 Speaker 1: feedback or ideas for the show to comments at how 647 00:39:32,160 --> 00:39:36,080 Speaker 1: to citizen dot com. Visit how to citizen dot com 648 00:39:36,120 --> 00:39:39,320 Speaker 1: to sign up for our newsletter or learn about upcoming events. 649 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,719 Speaker 1: And if you like the show, spread the word tell somebody. 650 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:46,719 Speaker 1: If you don't, definitely just keep it to yourself. How 651 00:39:46,760 --> 00:39:49,000 Speaker 1: does Citizen with barrettone Day is a production of I 652 00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:53,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio Podcasts and Dust Like Productions. Our executive producers 653 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 1: are Me barretton Day, Thurston, Elizabeth Stewart and Misha Yusuf. 654 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 1: Our producers are Stephanie Cohne and Ali Kilts. Kelly Prime 655 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:06,160 Speaker 1: is our editor. Valentino Rivera is our engineer and Sam 656 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:11,080 Speaker 1: Paulson is our Apprentice. Original music by Andrew Eapon. Special 657 00:40:11,120 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 1: thanks to our citizen voices for this episode, Meredith Silva, 658 00:40:15,040 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: Bernadette Bohan, Alice and Brown, Ferguson and Lana Watson. This 659 00:40:20,640 --> 00:40:24,320 Speaker 1: episode was produced and sound designed by Stephanie Cone. Special 660 00:40:24,360 --> 00:40:26,320 Speaker 1: thanks to Joel Smith from I Heart Radio