“Sometimes showing emotion and being vulnerable isn’t a bad thing. It actually leads to more connections to the folks you’re trying to reach.” – Michael Tubbs, episode 253 of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
At age 26, Michael Tubbs became the youngest mayor of a major city in American history. He joins us this week around the release of his breathtaking new memoir, The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home.
Born and raised in Stockton, California, Michael offers the historical context of his city (9:42), the politics around his birth (11:15), his early experiences of homelessness (12:40), the day he met his father in prison (14:45), how he discovered just how ordinary lawmakers were (18:54), and the familial tragedy (23:30) that brought him back home to run for city council (28:00).
As the first Black mayor of Stockton, we discuss the misinformation that enshrouded his term in office (33:10), the city’s “culture of mediocrity” (39:33), the upcoming midterm elections (49:15), and his earliest encounter with President Obama (54:36). To close Michael reads one of his favorite poems by Tupac, The Rose That Grew From Concrete (58:46).
Show notes:
- Get your copy of Michael’s new book, The Deeper the Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home.
- Learn more about his work on his website.
- Follow Michael on Twitter and Instagram.
- Hear our past conversations with Rep. Ilhan Omar, Roxane Gay, Dr. Cornel West, Jake Tapper, Michael Lewis, Brittany Packnett Cunningham, Gloria Steinem and Jhumpa Lahiri
- Illustrations by: Krishna Shenoi