Guaranteed income: experiences of African American mothers in the Magnolia Mother’s Trust Project

ABSTRACT The Magnolia Mother’s Trust Project seeks to spotlight the impact of consumer sovereignty inherent in cash transfers to low-income single mothers. The project offered a guaranteed income benefit of $12,000 for one year to 110 Black single mothers in Jackson, Mississippi. Participants were within 200% of the poverty threshold. The aim of this investigation is to describe the project and report preliminary findings of outcomes related to community connectedness, health, and family wellness for Magnolia Mother’s Trust participants. This report highlights the differences in preliminary outcomes between Magnolia Mothers and similarly situated women who did not receive the cash supplement. Implications for policy and further investigation are discussed in the conclusion.