What Does “Wealth” Mean to You? Aisha Nyandoro’s TED Talk on Guaranteed Income for Black Mothers
We have a poverty of imagination about what makes us wealthy. – Aisha Nyandoro
For people living in poverty, a guaranteed income can mean finally having the space to dream of a comfortable life. Sharing the stories of single moms who participated in a first-of-its-kind program that offered them $1,000 per month with no strings attached, poverty disrupter Aisha Nyandoro calls for us to redefine what it means to be wealthy — putting aside lavish vacations and fancy cars in favor of paid bills and a well-fed family — and to listen when people tell us what they need most.
Read the full Cash As Care Report here.
Read Kindred’s posts on black mothers and fathers here.
Listen to Kindred’s interview with Riane Eisler on Creating A Caring Economy here.
See Kindred’s Black Mothers and Fathers Resources
Watch Aisha Nyandoro’s TED Talk
About Aisha Nyandoro
Aisha Nyandoro is the founding CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, a Jackson, MS nonprofit that uses a “radically resident-driven” approach to end generational poverty. In 2018, she created the Magnolia Mother’s Trust – now the country’s longest-running guaranteed income program.
In addition to leading Springboard’s community work and growing the Magnolia Mother’s Trust exponentially, Aisha is focused on shifting gendered and racialized narratives around poverty and deservedness, and working to show how the success of the Trust can be scaled nationally through policies like the expanded Child Tax Credit and a federal guaranteed income.
Her expertise on economic, racial and gender justice issues is regularly featured in outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Amanpour & Company, Essence Magazine, NBC Nightly News and CNN. She is a TEDx speaker and a fellow of the Highland Project, W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network and Ascend at the Aspen Institute. She has received many awards and recognitions including the 2022 McNulty Prize and Disrupter Change Champion. She holds a B.A. from Tennessee State University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University. When not working to liberate financial capital she is a wife and mom to two very charming sons.
About Springboard to Opportunity
Springboard To Opportunities offers a new model of resident services and poverty alleviation by developing programs and solutions that center residents and their stories. Everything we do is centered in our radically resident driven model and ensures that residents are involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of all programming and services.
Springboard recognizes that there is never just one thing that keeps families in poverty or prevents them from reaching their goals. Instead, the organization takes a holistic approach, working to deeply know and understand the different factors affecting a whole person. We provide support for families as they work to create change and reach their goals on an individual, community, and systems level, while simultaneously elevating their stories and voices to counter the harmful narratives that surround low-income families.
Our ultimate goal is for residents to recognize the power that they already have to disrupt these systems and make change within their own lives, communities, and the various systems that affect their day-to-day lives by providing the tools and supports necessary to enact that change. You can learn more about our work and initiatives through the links below.