Mayor Michael Tubbs is Stockton’s first Black mayor and America’s youngest mayor ever to lead a city of greater than 100,000 residents. Since his election in 2016, Mayor Tubbs has pledged himself to revitalizing and reinventing the city of his birth, spearheading a bevy of new programs to fight violent crime, boost the college enrollment rate, and lower unemployment. In 2019, he launched the country’s first mayor-led guaranteed income pilot; this summer, he mobilized 24 other mayors to advocate the same.
Today, Mayor Tubbs discusses his childhood in Stockton -- how his own hard journey at once epitomizes and indicts our obsession with American exceptionalism. He talks about his struggle to cultivate trust with his constituents, and the lessons he’s learned leading an ideologically diverse city council. He shares the work Stockton has done to reform its police department, after municipal bankruptcy forced a critical rethinking of police funds. And he describes the history and impact of Stockton’s successful guaranteed income pilot.
For more, stream Stockton on My Mind, HBO’s new documentary on Mayor Tubbs, on HBO and HBO Max. Learn more about the array of initiatives he’s spearheaded through his nonprofit organization, the Reinvent Stockton Foundation, and check out his 2020 re-election platform, to learn what he's envisioning for his city next.