'COVID Can't Cancel Your Dreams': Aisha Nyandoro on Working in Purpose and Her The Root 100 Recognition

“Lists like The Root 100 need to exist. Those of us who are doing the work need to see that work recognized, especially for those of us who work in community.” — Aisha Nyandoro, CEO at Springboard to Opportunities, 2020 The Root 100 Honoree

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Aisha Nyandoro was midway through her morning routine when she first saw the news.

The CEO of Springboard to Opportunities put down her coffee and showed her mother and husband her phone while excitedly saying, “Hold on, that’s my picture!” Nyandoro made it onto 2020’s The Root 100 list.

The acknowledgment of her nonprofit’s hard work was one she didn’t take lightly. In late 2018 the anti-poverty advocate instituted the Magnolia Mother’s Trust, which is a guaranteed income project that provides $1,000 a month of 12 months to low-income Black mothers in Jackson, Miss. No strings attached.

“Last year, we worked doubly hard to get to this year where we could have more women getting the money,” said Nyandoro. Currently, the program is helping 110 Black moms, which is especially crucial during the pandemic. “If that’s not evidence that my God is dope, I don’t know what else is.”

Nyandoro shares what fuels her work, why we must celebrate Black achievement now more than ever, and more in the video above.