David Dinkins: Leading New York Is The 'Greatest Job There Is'

'Winning the office in 1989, David Dinkins (1927-2020) earned the glare of national attention not only as the mayor of one of the country's most important cities, but also as that city's first black mayor. It was a difficult time for the New York City. Race relations were fractured, the economy was struggling, and many neighborhoods were gripped by a crack epidemic. In a conversation with NPR's Michel Martin, Dinkins chronicles that period, and his political journey, in the book A Mayor's Life: Governing New York's Gorgeous Mosaic.'