TOP TEN BLACK NEWS STORIES 2022

(Baltimore, MD) I continue to believe the reason you read my list is because you’re intrigued. Each year I try and point to items you may have heard about or made you raise an eyebrow. This year, I unfortunately noticed to many narcists and not enough love for those who have challenges. It wasn’t all doom and gloom, I watched a number of “Underdogs” change the narrative and succeed. Now for my annual disclaimer. “If you don’t like my list, create your own.” Hold on to your chair, “because it’s about to go down.”

10. Ye – Last year I talked about how Rappers have become enamored with themselves and purveyors of culture. I draw attention to the Rapper formally known as Kayne West. Despite having a number of breakdowns (divorce, mental health episodes, loss of endorsement deals etc.…) he committed a cardinal sin in Black Culture. Comedian Dave Chappelle said it succinctly on Saturday Night Live,“Whenever you use the term ‘The Jews.’ It will not turn out well.” Ye, doubled down by declaring he was going “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” This comment got him banned on social media. The visual which is still imbedded in my mind was he and Candance Owen photographed in shirts with “White Lives Matter.” 

9. Tigray/Internal Struggles in Africa – This November there was a truce of fighting between Ethiopia and the Tigray region. According to reports this is just the beginning. The fragility of  Africans and their desire to govern is tenuous. I can point to countries such as Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Chad, Angola, and the Congo. 

 8. The Loss of Iconic Figures – There are some figures who transcend time. This year we lost a number of iconic figures. From the first time I saw Sidney Poitier on the big screen it was mesmerizing. He may have been “Hollywood Royalty,” but meant much more to the culture. He was the Brother who shook my world when he delivered the line, “They call me, Mr. Tibbs.” He joined his friend Harry Belafonte in several movies. It was his humanitarian efforts which changed the way actors see the craft. It was this picture on Interstate 95 which made me smile. 

I also want to mention some others who fall in this category: Charles Fuller (author of “A Soldier’s Story"), Bernard Shaw (Reporter/Network Anchor), Thom Bell (songwriter), Irene Cara (Singer/Actress), Betty Davis (Singer), André Leon Talley (Fashion Icon), James Mtume (Songwriter/Musician), Max Julien (Director/Actor),Coolio (Rapper) and Ramsey Lewis (Musician/Songwriter). Just learned Pele has transitioned May they rest in power. 

7. Jackson Water Crisis – We have seen this story before. If things go really bad we end up with Flint, Michigan. Jackson, Mississippi is a state capital. The water system in this city has had problems for years. The fixes shouldn’t fall on the Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, but on those who run the state. The Republican governor blamed a majority Black city run by a Democratic Mayor for mismanagement. This is necessary infrastructure to survive. Floods this summer exacerbated the problem. The boil water advisor did nothing to solve brown water coming out of the faucet. Federal authorities stepped in with assistance and financial aid. During this last week Jackson was thrown backwards with a freeze which broke pipes and they are still trying to find out why. 

6. Screens and What I Watched? – I am still somewhat adverse to going to movies on the big screen. I made the decision to see a pair of films in a theater, “Wakanda Forever and Nope.” Wakanda Forever, sewed together what was going to happen after Chadwick Boseman’s untimely death. For those of us who actually read comic books we get reintroduced to the “Sub-Mariner – Prince Namor.” The ladies in this film stand out. I can’t wait for their sequels. 

“Nope,” the next installment of Jordan Peele’s repertoire of films continues his fascination with the horror genre. While I enjoyed the film and was able to discern the many historical references, a number of my friends did not. There are films which become “cult classics” and that’s what this film will become. FYI, what ever your vision of an alien looks like, Peele will make you rethink the concept. 

Lastly, on the small screen think about watching “Lightyear” – “To Infinity and Beyond” – the origin of this line will never be the same. Kendrick Lamar: Live in Paris is a tour de force performance. The Upshaws and Abbott Elementary finally made situational comedy smart and funny.

When your office does an incredible job on a pair of documentaries about iconic figures Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, you recognize the precedent they make. Make sure you re-watch Becoming Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Tubman: Visions of Freedom. 

 5. Gun Violence – I am not immune from the uptick in murders in urban areas. There are few easy answers, but let’s begin with removing guns which seem more inline with warlike intentions. I am heartbroken by innocent victims who have no voice and their survivors who are clamoring for solutions. Be advised in my home base and yours, these criminals are younger and influenced with, “who gives a damn.” These young people see you as the problem. Fending for yourself will lead you to dark places. It’s about mental health. 

 4. GOP Implosion – The narrative of a “Republican Wave” was in the offing during the mid-term elections never materialized. Democrats rallied behind the positives of the “Biden Administration.” The clearest example of this was in the Georgia U.S. Senate race which went to a run-off. It pitted incumbent Sen. Raphael Warnock against former football star Herschel Walker. Black folks were not amused (at his many of his off-hand remarks/lies – which were remarkable). My observation, Georgia Republicans who voted for him were prepared/will vote for an unqualified candidate. 

 3. Black MAGA Supporters – Look if you want to support the former President you are welcome to do so. Just don’t expect the world to embrace you, even if you disown his policies. Let me begin with the former Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams. Adams is two years removed from being the nations medical doctor. He has been struggling to find meaningful work and has taken to social media. To add to his woes his wife’s skin cancer has comeback. He attributes his problem to the “Trump Effect,” Dah!!! He isn’t alone, Where is Omarosa? 

 2. Black Women in Politics – This was not a good year in politics for Black women (women in general). I happen to be at a luncheon during the NABJ Conference in Las Vegas. I listen to a lecture conducted by the Center for American Women in Politics.

They provided statistics on how Black women have been fairing in State Houses and the Congress. Here are some the numbers which stuck with me. In 2022, Black women are 7.9% of the population, 4.9 % in Congress, 5.0 % in State Office, and 2.6% in Statewide Office. What also caught my attention were the subtle messages conveyed in how they are described. “Pushy, sassy, progressive, angry, mean or shrill.” In a new book Black Women Will Save The World: An Anthem, by April Ryan she told me “there are codes (its not just for Black women).” Ryan reminded me of the Shirley Chisolm’s admonishment, “Black women get a double whammy…she describes this as ‘misogyny noir (originally coined by Moya Bailey). ’” 

In number of key elections I saw a trait which some may see through a different lens. Stacey Abrams and Val Deming’s are political pros. I was privy to a number of conversations with these candidates. As I listened, they seem to argue about past inequities. Litigating the past, was not a proven way to win. 

I want to point to Karen Bass the mayor of Los Angeles. Mayor Bass was able to point to the future. A number of winners including Sen. Raphael Warnock and Wes Moore, the incoming Maryland Governor, stressed what they were going to do when they won.

1. Supreme Court Justice Kentaji Jackson Brown – The arrival of the first Black woman on the SCOTUS on the high court was historic. There were questions about her impact, since she has only one vote. Much of criticism was squelched during her oral arguments during a gerrymander case out of Alabama. Justice Brown was questioning whether the Alabama’s Solicitor General was correct in how the framers/court interpreted the 14th Amendment. “They didn't intend it to be ‘race neutral or race blind’ and that it was written to provide a constitutional foundation for the Civil Rights Act of 1866,” according to Justice Brown. A Joint Reconstruction Committee (following the Civil War) concluded the entire point of these new Amendments (14th and 15th Amendments), Freedmen/Enslaved individuals would have the same right “as white citizens.”

Person of the Year: Wes Moore

First a disclaimer: I now host a radio show called “Future City.” I replaced Moore as the host when he decided to run for Governor of Maryland. Some of you will know Moore as the author of “The Other Wes Moore.” Before his run he ran an organization called “The Robinhood Foundation.” The philanthropic CEO joined a crowded field (10 candidates)to replace

Republican Governor Larry Hogan. With no political experience he was a long shot. Also, members of the Democrat Party were wary of past results. Governor Hogan, a GOP candidate, had bested a pair of Black candidates (Anthony Brown and Ben Jealous). 

What did voters see? C. Vernon Gray, the former head of Morgan State University Political Science Department, is a guru on Maryland Politics. “Moore was a fresh voice…not encumbered by the protracted problems, faced by those with political experience." 

Moore moved in ways few expected. When he secured the early endorsements of Maryland Teachers Union there was shock. Landing  members of political establishment (Speaker of the House Delegate Adrienne Jones, US House Minority Leader Rep. Steny Hoyer, and others) was a sign he had arrived.

He also made sure his ground game was in place. Early voting, absentee and same day voting strategies were far superior, says Gray. By the General Election according to Maryland’s political sage, “he may have started with 7% approval ratings in early polling.” By the General Election day, he had garnered some 65% of the vote totals. In political circles this is called “meeting the moment.” 

It’s why I selected Wes Moore as my Person of the Year.