2020, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC,
RACIAL UNREST AND A FALTERING
ECONOMY, SEVEN MAYORS HAVE FOUND
SUPPORT, COUNSEL, AND FELLOWSHIP
WITH ONE ANOTHER
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A BLACK
MAN AND A MAYOR OF A MAJOR CITY
RIGHT NOW?
>> ALL OF US ARE DEALING WITH
THE TRIFECTA OF A GLOBAL HEALTH
PANDEMIC, ECONOMIC CRISIS, AND
RACIAL UNREST.
ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS
COMBINED REQUIRES A DEEP MORAL
COMPASS, TO MAKE TOUGH
DECISIONS.
>> IT IS OUR MISSION EVERY DAY
TO SPEAK FOR THOSE THAT OFTEN
DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK
FOR THEMSELVES.
>> DOING THE RIGHT THING
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO
IN OUR ROLES
>> Reporter: THESE MAYORS,
MOSTLY FROM THE SOUTH AND UNDER
THE AGE OF 40, ARE PUTTING
COMMUNITIES FIRST IN THE MOST
TRYING OF TIMES.
WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT
PART OR TIME DURING YOUR TEN
TENURE AND WHY
>> THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR IN
OFFICE
DEALING WITH THREE CRISIS, THE
PANDEMIC, THE ECONOMIC CRISIS
AND THE SOERN SOCIAL UNREST
INCLUDING A HURRICANE HITTING
LOUISIANA, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN
WRITE-UP A MORE CHALLENGING YEAR
FOR A MAYOR.
>> THE SOCIAL AND CIVIL UNREST
THAT WE ARE ALL EXPERIENCING ON
A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS BASED ON THE
THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON ACROSS
WHAT WE WOULD CALL OUR MOMENT
HERE FOR OUR GENERATION.
>> THE COVID-19 CIRCUMSTANCE HAS
BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING.
IT'S CREATING A CIRCUMSTANCE
WHERE EXPOSING UNDERLYING
CONDITIONS WITHIN OUR NATION.
>> I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT
2020 HAS ILLUMINATED A NUMBER OF
INEQUITIES AND INEQUALITIES IN
EACH OF OUR CITIES
BUT IT ALLOWS FOR US TO DO
COURAGEOUS THINGS, CALL THE
INEQUITIES OUT FOR WHAT THEY
ARE.
>> THE YOUNG BLACK MAN IN
AMERICA WHO IS NOW A MAYOR OF A
MAJOR CITY, HOW DOES THAT INFORM
HOW YOU GOVERN, MONITOR, RUN A
POLICE DEPARTMENT, SPECIFICALLY?
>> YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO ALL
YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, ALL OF
OUR JOB AS MAYOR, THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC SAFETY
IS OURS.
>> AND IN OUR LISTENING, WE HAVE
TO BE PROACTIVE WITH OUR
ACTIONS.
WE'RE IN A TIME OF JUSTICE AND
ACCOUNTABILITY
>> AND IT TAKES A BALANCE.
I THINK WHAT I'VE TRIED TO DO IS
TO HAVE A COMPASSION FOR OUR
COMMUNITY, TO HAVE A COMPASSION
FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
>> Reporter: THROUGH IT ALL,
THEY RELY ON EACH OTHER.
THEY CONNECT WEEKLY, SOMETIMES
DAILY, VIA TEXT.
A SAFE SPACE FOR ADVICE, SOLACE,
AND, WELL, JOKES
HOW DO YOU LEAN ON THE OTHER
GENTLEMEN WHO ARE SHARING THIS
SCREEN NOW TO HELP YOU NAVIGATE
THESE TIMES?
>> AS HEAVY AS OUR JOBS ARE, WE
DEPEND ON EACH OTHER FOR
SOLUTIONS.
>> WE'RE TALKING TO EACH OTHER
ABOUT THINGS LIKE, DO YOU HAVE A
CURFEW
WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN TERMS OF
CONTROLLING OR QUELLING
PROTESTS
AT A TIME LIKE THIS, WITH A
COUNTRY AS DIVIDED AS IT IS,
THIS HAS BEEN BIG.
>> THIS TEXT THREAD, OUR
COMMUNICATION ACTUALLY ALLOWS US
TO PULL FROM EXPERIENCES
THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH AND MAKE US
EVEN MORE INFORMED LEADERS
>> TO GET A GLIMPSE OF THEIR
POLITICAL MIND IS SOMETHING THAT
ALSO KIND OF, I THINK, KEEPS US
ALL SHARP.
>> Reporter: IS THE THREAD ALL
BUSINESS
>> NO.
[ LAUGHTER ] >> LISTEN, WE MAY
START OFF WITH SOME PLATITUDES,
BUT IT QUICKLY GOES DOWNHILL
INTO, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS THE BEST
COLLEGE TEAM.
>> NOTHING WE CAN'T ASK OF EACH
OTHER.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW
TO HAVE AN OFFICE LIKE MAYOR
REED'S
IT IS AN ISSUE FOR ALL OF US AT
THIS POINT IN TIME
LOOK AT IT, ABOUT 5,000 SQUARE
FEET
DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF
OPPORTUNITY.
>> WHAT'D I DO
WHAT'D I SAY
>> Reporter: WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THE TEXT THREAD, AND WHO
CAN PROVIDE EXCERPTS WE CAN PUT
ON TELEVISION?
>> QUIET
>> WE DON'T HAVE ANY MICHAEL
COHENS IN THIS GROUP
>> NOT AT ALL.
>> WE DID NOT GET OUR HANDS ON
THE TEXT THREAD.
>> NOT SAFE FOR WORK, RIGHT?
>> NO.
BUT REALLY COOL GROUP OF GUYS.
MAYOR REED, BY THE WAY, THE
MAYOR OF MONTGOMERY THERE, HE'S
THE OLDEST IN THE GROUP AT 46.
THE REST OF THEM ARE ALL UNDER
THE AGE OF 40.
THEY SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE PANDEMIC, ONE OF THEM
DECIDED, YOU KNOW WHAT, MIGHT BE
A GOOD IDEA TO REACH OUT TO SOME
OF MY OTHER MAYORS.
>> THAT WAS GREAT.
>> WE'LL HEAR MORE FROM THEM IN
THE THIRD HOUR OF "TODAY,"
INCLUDING MORE ON HOW THEY'VE
HANDLED THE SOCIAL JUSTICE
RECKONING, SPECIFICALLY.
A BIG THANKS TO ALL OF THEM.
THEY'RE BUSY RIGHT NOW, SO I
APPRECIA