This Mother’s Day weekend, we are honored to present a special three-part Front and Center mini-series—The Kids of Magnolia Mother’s Trust—featuring the children of mothers whose stories readers have come to know over the years. Published Friday, Saturday and Sunday ahead of Mother’s Day, these essays offer a deeply personal look at how children experience their mothers’ sacrifices, struggles and love, and how they understand the world around them because of those experiences.
In the third and final installment of The Kids of Magnolia Mother’s Trust, John reflects on how sports, community programs and his mother’s encouragement helped shape his confidence, motivation and sense of leadership growing up in Jackson, Miss. He writes about participating in Springboard to Opportunities programs since childhood, discovering a love of competition through sports and math, and why he believes young people need more opportunities and support systems in their communities:
“We have seen way too much violence and crime in our neighborhoods in recent years. While I think part of the problem is that kids have too easy access to weapons, I think it is also because there are not enough programs and opportunities for youth to get involved in and stay occupied. I can see how all these years with Springboard and having the extra support to participate in more youth sports helped grow my confidence, motivation and interests and has pushed me to stay active in other activities that are helping me continue to grow toward my best self. I want these same opportunities to be available for every kid in Jackson and my community.”
Following John’s essay, his mother Ebony—whose own story readers first encountered through Front and Center several years ago—responds to her son’s reflections and shares what it means to watch him grow into a young leader committed to his community, despite the adversity he has faced along the way.
The post The Kids of Magnolia Mother’s Trust: John on Competition, Confidence and Why Every Kid Deserves Opportunity appeared first on Ms. Magazine.