Linda, 46, was born in Saraland, Alabama. She is a single mother of five, two of whom, James, 17, and Dianna, 16, still live with her on Dauphin Island Parkway. At age nine, Linda’s father died, leaving her mother to raise the children by herself. Soon after, Linda began to follow a similar path as a single mother, becoming pregnant with her first child when she was just a senior in high school.
She now has a steady job as an assistant manager of a discount store and does everything she can to help her children get ahead in life. Linda says it has been hard raising them by herself, but she always knew she could get up and take care of herself and her children. She said, “I never wanted to be beggin’ [anyone] for [anything],” and she has stayed true to that mantra. One obstacle Linda had to face as a single mother in poverty was the lack of public transportation in Mobile. Even though she was faced with multiple problems, Linda still says with a smile, “I’m from Mobile. Don’t wanna be nowhere else.”
