“Surreal.” That’s the phrase that mannequin, author, and the inspiring founding father of The Tender Basis, Jaycina Almond, makes use of to explain being a part of the adidas 2025 Honoring Black Excellence (HBE) program. “I’m so grateful to be named one of many Honorees for 2025. I’m a Black lady from Kentucky who received pregnant at 20, I’m not speculated to be sitting right here having this dialog with you,” she informed EBONY.
The 2025 HBE program acknowledges particular person expressions of creativity and teams who’ve proven resilience, power and brilliance of Black excellence of their efforts. This yr’s honorees additionally embrace the Quilters of Gee’s Bend.
To have a good time Almond’s affect with the Tender Basis, adidas HBE has debuted a shifting quick movie chronicling her journey and the Tender Basis’s mission to redefine narratives surrounding Black motherhood. For Girls’s Historical past Month, EBONY chatted with Almond about her award and erasing the stigma that the phrase “single moms” generally brings up.
EBONY: Congratulations on this honor.
Jaycina Almond: Receiving such recognition on such a big scale is so surreal! When you find yourself within the thick of it, there’s at all times extra you’re feeling like you might be and must be doing. I wish to ensure that all our households keep housed, everyone has sufficient for groceries this month, and all of the issues are proper. However being named one of many adidas HBE Honorees made me replicate on all the pieces we’ve been in a position to accomplish and replicate on how my neighborhood and my village are the parents who made it attainable for me to be the place I’m at this time.
What occasion motivated you to start out The Tender Basis? Was it a part of a private journey?
Tender is certainly the end result of my private expertise. My mother was a single mother for the primary half of my childhood, after which she was caught in a foul relationship as a result of she couldn’t assist three women on her personal. I received pregnant fairly younger, at 20, and I used to be a single mother for the primary a number of years of my daughter’s life. I believe I simply needed to do one thing for ladies like me.
How does the group help and empower single moms?
At Tender, we’re constructing a security internet for single mothers dwelling on the margins right here in Atlanta in order that they’ll spend money on what they want. From housing to maintaining the fridge stocked and all the pieces in between, we provide emergency invoice pay help with lease, utilities and childcare prices. We additionally function a Diaper Financial institution the place all households can get diapers, wipes and method free of charge, and we additionally run a assured earnings program known as The Bridge, the place our mamas obtain month-to-month money funds for a full yr – no strings connected. We actually do consider in trust-based options which might be rooted in dignity.
How will the adidas award profit your efforts?
There’s at all times extra we wish to do however solely so many {dollars} within the financial institution to do it with. Receiving this award not solely permits us to succeed in extra mamas with direct help, it additionally helps elevate consciousness to destigmatize poverty and single motherhood. There’s no disgrace in being a single mother, there’s no disgrace in dwelling paycheck to paycheck, this stuff are usually not particular person failures.
What can we as a society do to assist single moms?
I believe the very first thing that now we have to do collectively is to take away the stigma and the disgrace behind the connotation of being a single mother. Some ladies select to be single dad and mom, some ladies lose their companions, and different occasions it merely doesn’t work out and there’s this overarching perception in society if you hear a girl say she is a single mother–there’s some sort of ethical deficiency, or she is irresponsible.
Then, extra virtually, I believe now we have to maneuver away from how individualized our world is. Present up and provide a single mother neighborhood. It’s not at all times straightforward or snug to really be in neighborhood with the parents round you, however if you do construct neighborhood, you recognize if you happen to want something, your folks have your again. Supply to meal prep, get her automobile cleaned and do the grocery procuring; all of this stuff may lighten the load.
“Single moms” sounds so dated. Is there higher terminology or thought to explain these unbelievable ladies who’re elevating youngsters on their very own?
I really feel like “single moms ” sound dated due to all of the stereotyping that phrase has turn out to be a container for. I don’t know if there’s a higher phrase or if the stigma will simply observe, proper? Some folks have used solo mum or dad or impartial dad and mom for single dad and mom, so there are alternatives.
Go to, thetenderfoundation.com for extra data on the way to assist this worthy trigger.