"Stockton On My Mind" (2020 release; 92 min.) is a documentary about Michael Hubbs, who in 2016 (on the very same night that Trump was elected), at the tender age of 26, became the youngest mayor of a large city (and Stockton's first black mayor to boot). In clips of his campaign, Hubbs tells the audience "I was set up for two things: prison or death". We then take a step back as we get an overview of Stockton, which in 2009 was the most foreclosed on city in the US (and shortly thereafter declared bankruptcy). Violence and poverty were rampant (including in the Hubbs family). In 2012, after graduating from Stanford, Hubbs returns to Stockton and at age 22 wins a seat on City Council... At this point we are 10 min. into the documentary.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from long-time documentarian Marc Levin, whose working relationship with HBO goes back decades. Here he looks at the political phenom that is/has become Michael Hubbs. With an obvious zest and passion and love for his home city of Stockton, he is taking on longtime/systemic problems like urban poverty and social justice with new (some might say radical) ideas. Such as: a Universal Basic Income pilot program (paid for by private donations, NOT tax payers money) where about 1,000 Stockton residents get $500/mth "no strings attached". And then there is the Advance Peace program, where convicted felons get hired (again paid for by private donations). And then there is the Stockton Scholars program, where disadvantaged youth can qualify for college scholarships (again, paid for by private donations). Hubbs is not afraid to call on his (wealthy and privileged) Stanford connections to make it all happen. Will these programs succeed in the long run? Nobody knows, and you may or may not agree with such approaches. But at least something new is being done that goes against the grain, against the tried and usual that has proven ineffective. Along the way, we also get to know Hubbs' father (Michael Sr.), who is serving a life sentence in the penitentiary for a 1996 robbery and kidnapping. Yea, you can't make this stuff up. And in the meantime, Michael Hubbs turns all of 30 years old this week (on August 2, to be exact). Happy birthday to you, sir!
"Stockton On My Mind" premiered this week on HBO and is now available on HBO On Demand, Amazon Instant Video and other streaming services. If you have any interest in urban planning and social justice issues, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
