Events › The Deeper the Roots - Striving for Universal Basic Income

Michael D. Tubbs has made history as a political trailblazer. This evening, he will discuss that history by expressing the importance of Universal Based Income (UBI): what it is, how it can benefit the U.S., and what needs to be done to implement it.

In 2016, he was elected Mayor of Stockton, California, at the age of 26. He was the city’s first African-American mayor and the youngest of any major city in American history. As mayor, Tubbs was lauded for his leadership and innovation. He raised over $20 million to create the Stockton Scholars, a universal scholarship and mentorship program for Stockton students. Additionally, he piloted the first mayor-led guaranteed income program in the country.

Under his leadership, Stockton was named an “All-America City” in 2017 and 2018 by the National Civic League. The city saw a 40% drop in homicides in 2018 and 2019, led the state of California in the decline of officer-involved shootings in 2019, and was named the second most fiscally healthy city in California. It has also been recognized as one of the most fiscally healthy cities in the nation and. Tubbs was featured in an HBO documentary film titled Stockton on My Mind.

In 2021, Tubbs released his book, The Deeper The Roots: A Memoir of Hope and Home. Currently, he is the Special Advisor to California Governor Gavin Newsom for Economic Mobility and Opportunity, the Founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income (MGI), and the Founder of End Poverty in California (EPIC).

This Social Justice Speaker Series is sponsored by the Friends of the Dayton Metro Library.