In Jackson, Miss., Latisha juggles full-time work, parenting and rising costs—while a guaranteed income program gives her the breathing room to plan for the future.
Front & Center is a groundbreaking series amplifying the voices of Black women navigating poverty—highlighting their struggles, resilience and dreams as they care for their families, build careers and challenge systems not built for their success. Now in its fourth year, Front & Center is a collaboration between Ms. and Springboard to Opportunities, a nonprofit based in Jackson, Miss., working alongside residents of federally subsidized housing as they pursue their goals. The first-person accounts in this series are available for reprint. Find additional guidelines at the end of this story.
My name is Latisha. I’m 32 years old, and I live in a subsidized housing complex in Jackson, Mississippi, with my three kids—my boys are 13 and 9, and my youngest is my 6-year-old daughter.
Right now, I’m a shift supervisor at Wendy’s. I’ve been there for a while, and I’ve moved up into management. I actually enjoy my job—I’m a people person, and I like the team we have. My co-workers feel like family, and my customers know me; some come in almost every day. But as much as I like it, the paycheck only stretches so far. Rent, the light bill, food for growing kids—by the time I cover the basics, the money is gone…