Documentary - From Separation to Solidarity: Single Mothers in Memphis
28 images Created 17 Jan 2013
Despite the crushing load that single mothers carry, they are one of the most demonized demographics in the U.S.
In Memphis, single mothers who receive any sort of government assistance are often described as “welfare queens” even though, according to a USDA report only ten percent of all single mothers receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. TANF benefit levels for a family of three who qualify equal less than half of the Federal Poverty Level in all states.
Furthermore, when single mothers work, they are additionally stereotyped as neglectful parents whose children will end up career criminals as a result of neglect. Surprisingly, according to the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, the single mother poverty rate in the U.S. is far above the average in high income countries, although the single mother employment rate in the U.S. is also above the average. Less generous income support programs in the U.S. are one explanation of the high poverty rate for single mother families. It appears that the current system of support for single mothers in this country is woefully insufficient and mishandled. Instead of being studied and restructured in meaningful ways, it is consistently used as a polarizing argument against government entitlement spending.
As a result of the tremendous amount of negativity surrounding the issue of single motherhood, I decided to approach the subject on my own through a photography documentary. I began following and photographing the life of one single mother in the spring of 2012, and then expanded the project to include two additional single-mother families in the fall of 2012.
This ongoing series of photographs is intended to show the daily lives of these single mothers in order to invoke recognition of their similarities to all mothers, along with understanding and empathy from the viewer of the strengths and weaknesses that these single mothers possess within the challenging situations they face. I intend to show the good, the bad, the successes and the mistakes in their journeys. We all face challenges in our own lives, and part of how we react to them defines our character. My hope is that newfound empathy with these mothers’ lives will give people some pause before they condemn single mothers when discussing issues such as welfare and other politically charged hot buttons.
In Memphis, single mothers who receive any sort of government assistance are often described as “welfare queens” even though, according to a USDA report only ten percent of all single mothers receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. TANF benefit levels for a family of three who qualify equal less than half of the Federal Poverty Level in all states.
Furthermore, when single mothers work, they are additionally stereotyped as neglectful parents whose children will end up career criminals as a result of neglect. Surprisingly, according to the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, the single mother poverty rate in the U.S. is far above the average in high income countries, although the single mother employment rate in the U.S. is also above the average. Less generous income support programs in the U.S. are one explanation of the high poverty rate for single mother families. It appears that the current system of support for single mothers in this country is woefully insufficient and mishandled. Instead of being studied and restructured in meaningful ways, it is consistently used as a polarizing argument against government entitlement spending.
As a result of the tremendous amount of negativity surrounding the issue of single motherhood, I decided to approach the subject on my own through a photography documentary. I began following and photographing the life of one single mother in the spring of 2012, and then expanded the project to include two additional single-mother families in the fall of 2012.
This ongoing series of photographs is intended to show the daily lives of these single mothers in order to invoke recognition of their similarities to all mothers, along with understanding and empathy from the viewer of the strengths and weaknesses that these single mothers possess within the challenging situations they face. I intend to show the good, the bad, the successes and the mistakes in their journeys. We all face challenges in our own lives, and part of how we react to them defines our character. My hope is that newfound empathy with these mothers’ lives will give people some pause before they condemn single mothers when discussing issues such as welfare and other politically charged hot buttons.
