You're listening to TED Talks Daily. I'm Elise Hugh. Michael Tubbs became the youngest mayor in America when he was elected Stockton, California's mayor. In his archive talk from TED 2019, he shares his unlikely path to local politics, how structural injustice in society affects all of us, and how we can work

together as neighbors to make the changes we need to see.

So I know for sure there's at least one thing I have in common with dentists.

I absolutely hate the holiday of Halloween.

Now, this hatred stems not from a dislike of cavities,

nor was it a lifetime in the making.

Rather, this hatred stems from a particular incident that happened nine years ago.

Nine years ago, I was even younger.

I was 20 years old, and I was an intern in the White House, the other White House. And my job was to work with mayors and councils nationwide. November 1st, 2010, began

just like any other day. I turned on the computer, went on Google, and prepared to write my news clips.

I was met with a call from my mother, which isn't an out of the

norm. My mom likes a text, call, email, Facebook, Instagram all day. So I answered the phone

and expected to hear maybe some church gossip or maybe something from World Star Hip-hop she had

discovered. But when I answered the phone, I was met with a tone that was unlike anything I had

ever heard from my mother. My mother's loud, but she spoke in a hush, steel, muffled tone that

conveyed a sense of sadness. And as she whispered, she said, Michael, your cousin Donnell was

murdered last night on Halloween at a house party in Stockholm.

And like far too many people in this country, particularly from communities like Mike, particularly that look like me,

I spent the better part of a year dealing with anger, rage, nihilism, not a choice to make.

The choice was one between action and apathy.

The choice was what could I do to put purpose to this pain.

I spent a year dealing with feelings of survivors' guilt.

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