Top Ten Stories Black News Stories of 2020

(Baltimore, MD) – What a year! As you look back a number of events impacted all us, including the Covid-19 Pandemic, the deaths of African-Americans at the hands of police and its protest aftermath, and the awakening of a sleeping electorate. Those are the easy ones. There were a lot more nuanced stories within the Black community in the US and across the globe. I got to write a lot about it this year,  and some you will see in 2021.

How I do what I do (report) has changed. Yes, I’m doing everything from Zoom to StreamYard.

As always, this is my list. You don’t have to agree. In fact, you can make up your own. I’m not confined by politics. I take in popular culture, history, Africa, literature, technology and so much more. FYI, it isn’t always serious so if you find yourself laughing…it’s by design. Please be advised it’s tough to keep it to ten items.

10. Africa and its Strongmen – When colonial rule ended on the Africa continent several types of leaders emerged. Those who embraced democratic principles weren’t always accepted and “the spear and the gun” seemed logical. Failure to pay attention will leave your global perspective lacking. I am going to point to several areas – Ethiopia and Tigray region.  I praised Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed when he settled a long running border war with Eritrea. This new uprising is occurring in the Tigray. There have been simmering tensions that has resulted in a fighting war. Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) lost favor with the ruling majority and wanted autonomy. Things went south when the TPLF attacked the Ethiopian Army.

Things are going from bad to worse in these countries: Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mali, Morocco and many more.

9. So What Am I Supposed To Do? I’m a Performer. – In April, I was scheduled to see Maxwell perform with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Yes, I was excited, bought a new tuxedo jacket, and was going to splurge on a limo. Canceled. For any kind of performer, this was not good year. Unlike a nine to five, any kind of a performer was caught in a bind. My good friend, Maysa, allowed me to talk to her about her unfortunate circumstances. "I had twelve to thirteen shows canceled at one time, some postponed and others outright canceled. It's difficult." It wasn’t just national acts which lost income. There were venues, comedians, dancers, and those who use "Live" audiences. Many, of course, turned to Zoom and other platforms to keep the music/dancing/reading going, and yes, get paid considerably less than their normal fees. Let me also include in this list my favorite Black restaurants who continue to scramble.

8. McKenzie Scott and HBCUs. Scott was married to Jeff Bezo’s (worth roughly $182 billion as of September 2020) and helped him create Amazon. The two divorced. So she could have easily stood on the sidelines, instead she gave $4.2 billion to 384 organizations, no strings attached. What surprised many was the major donations she gave to several HBCUs around the country. 

It caught my attention when four of these schools (University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Bowie State University, Morgan State University, and Howard University) were recipients of her largeness.

7. “You Know I’m a Rapper” – I know what I know and I don’t try and do things I don’t. For all the advisers to those who “spit knowledge,” let the people you’re represent in on some simple ideas. A rhyme scheme is not a PhD. A “dope track” does not grant you a  masters degree. Your work with varied artist is not a substitute for being conferred a degree from an accredited university. Jumping into politics is not a license to condense years of  political science into what looks good on an album cover/or a slogan that can be repeated at a concert. (Here’s hoping – your music career has more life).

Kayne West “showed-out” with his embrace of Donald Trump’s MAGA. What made it obscene was he launched a presidential campaign/record promotion in year where elections were consequential. His benefactors for underwriting the entire endeavor, were known Republican operatives. The idea that was hatched, use Wests celebrity to syphon young Black voters away from Vice President Joe Biden.

Honorable mention included in this category includes “Ice Cube.” The LA based Rapper put forward a “Platinum Plan“ (branding seems more important) as a part of a so-called  “Contract for Black America” he also shared with the Trump Organization. I don’t remember voting for Ice Cube for anything.

In a moment reminiscent of Elvis, Lil Wayne endorses Trump in a photo. FYI, Wayne was arrested on his private jet with drugs and weapons. He has pleaded guilty. Now would be a good time to see if there is a pardon coming.

The one thing I do know is Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion killed it on WAP, which is one of the few things that spoke the truth.

6.  The Stories We Tell – The pandemic has me watching a number of movies and series online.  I am excited to see different story lines with nontraditional roles for African-Americans in front of and behind the scenes. Things which caught my attention include and are not limited to the following: Woke (series), The Boys (series), and The Mandalorin (series). The small screen has also allowed me to see things I found enjoyable: High Note – Featuring Traci Ellis Ross as an aging singer. She likely took notes from her mother, Diana Ross. The Weekend -  featuring Sasheer Zamata is a surprising find.

A newcomer to my list for this year is Sylvie’s Love – featuring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha. A Black love story with jazz as a backdrop.

If you’re looking for something to read, The Dead are Arising - Tamara Payne. Ms. Payne is the daughter of my late friend and founder of NABJ, Les Payne. She completed her father’s groundbreaking work.

Lastly, we lost one of the great actors of our time, Chadwick Boseman. His work lives on in several posthumous releases, Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. RIP.

5. The Reckoning – As an African-American man there has always been a sense your knowledge could save you from indignities, fear, and harm. This year proved deadly on some accounts. The cellphone has become the truth serum. Some members of the majority community have unfortunately been emboldened and found it easy to suggest  “You’re threatening me.”  Another refrain includes, “Your actions to defend yourself from harm are malicious.”

I want to point to Amy Cooper. Ms. Cooper took it upon herself to call police on a 57-year-old Black birdwatcher, named Christian Cooper (they aren’t related). The female Cooper was walking her dog unleashed. She was asked by the birdwatcher to conform to the rules of Central Park. She refused. The birdwatcher pulled out his phone and recorded her actions including her yelling at a dispatcher “I’m being threatened by an African-American man. Please send a cop immediately.”

Christian Cooper

This simple message brought police to the park where the male Cooper was surrounded by police with guns drawn. The police ascertained he wasn’t a threat and she was in violation of park rules. A viral video of the incident pointed to why white privilege and not so subtle racism is a problem. Ms. Cooper who lives on the Upper Westside of Manhattan would end up losing her job and shamed in a way that became a trend. Oh yes, she apologized.

She is not alone. Sometimes, these encounters prove deadly (I’ll get to this further along). I’m also aware this discounting of race from older white men/women especially in media has left them wondering, “What did I do wrong?”

4. “This Ain’t Supposed to Be Funny” – It’s been difficult in these times to find something to laugh about. Black comedians have used pain for jokes (Richard Pryor).  Here are some of the people and things that brought comic relief.

·       Robin Thede and A Black Lady Sketch Show. Ms. Thede’s brand of comedy is intelligent, sassy, and will have you cracking up. The skits on a Courtroom Kiki , Soul Food Purgatory ,  and On My Own are brilliant.

·       ·       Roy Wood, Jr.  – The Daily Show has launched the careers of so many successful comedians. The Daily Social Distancing Show is bringing it in ways not seen before. Roy Wood, Jr’s wit is unmistakable. 

·       ·       Dulce Sloan channels every Black woman who goes to a department store and is pissed they don’t have a dress/pants/suit in her size. Lane Bryant is a way of life.

·      ·        Dave Chappelle – There is something about Chappelle that speaks to who we are at this moment. I didn’t get the tittle of his latest special 8:46. I won’t give away its meaning. It was taped “Live” in a cornfield near his home, which is just outside of Cincinnati (FYI, I lived in Cincinnati). It will make you uncomfortable, as it should. 

3. Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) -  If you’re reading this you didn’t need a movement to let you know it was a global movement.  From big cities to small hamlets in the United States, BLM, was crystalized in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others. It also struck a nerve with people (white folk) who said the police had gone too far. People took to the streets in London, Sydney, Tokyo, Johannesburg,  and many other  places because they too had seen an unequal administration of justice. Some would wish it would go away, but we are here to stay. In Baltimore, it’s expressed in a simple message. “Can you hear me, Yo!” “Say her name!” “I can’t breathe!”

2. Elections are Vital – As a Political Reporter, I know polls are just snapshots of time in an election season. This year records were shattered for voting. According to the Washington Post, nearly 66.7 % of those eligible to vote, participated in the US Presidential election. Those percentages equate to 159,633,396 to be exact (source: Council on Foreign Relations).  Joe Biden received 81,283,098 votes, or 51.3 percent of the vote (first time any candidate has broken the 80 million threshold). Donald Trump received 74,222,957 votes, or 46.8 percent of the vote. 

As you drill down on the numbers, here’s what made the difference. The selection of Senator Kamala Harris as the Vice-Presidential running mate was a motivating factor for Black Women.

It showed itself during the Primary in South Carolina, where Black Women pushed Biden over the finish line. This trend continued to manifest during the general election in the battleground states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia. While the Black vote only makes up 11% of the population, according to AP VoteCast 9 out of 10 Black voters cast their lot with Biden.

Biden acknowledged on election night, “The African American community stood up again for me.” What makes this more than remarkable is it occurred during the middle of a pandemic.

1. COVID-19 – 300,000 people and counting. The number itself is sobering. Inside those number are African-Americans who didn’t have to die. So many have underlying conditions of high blood pressure, heart disease, and too many other conditions to list. I have been watching the numbers of Blacks in Maryland whose lives were cut short. I’ve also seen too many Zoom funerals/going home ceremonies.

There is a unique continuum in the African-American community that comes with the death of a loved one. It starts with a call to a pastor. Normally, he/she would show up at your home to provide condolences. Then there would be arrangements such as contacting a funeral home, setting up a wake, a funeral service, a repast, and a grave side interment. The personal touch has been lost in this environment and don’t get me started on who is allowed to come and participate.

I am reminded of my Grandmother’s funeral and attending as a little boy. As I arrived with my mother, I asked, “Who are all these people?” My mother responded, “These are the people who loved her.” I imagine all the young people who won’t get a chance to ask this question at the funeral of a loved one, especially behind a mask.

If there is hope, it is a vaccine. It’s being administered to frontline workers first. Many of the people who treat your loved ones infected with Covid-19 are people of color. I know the historical apprehension in the Black community about taking shots and how the medical community has taken advantage of us.  Let us not be blinded by what has happened, but remain hopeful.

 

Person of the Year

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett

Let’s call it what it is “Black Girl Magic.” Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett was a lead scientist behind one of the vaccines’ developed at NIH. According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, (he calls her Kizzy) she was the lead researcher who developed the Moderna vaccine. The 34-year-old, earned her undergraduate degreee at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (2008). Then received her Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology in 2014 at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Corbett appeared on CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta on the podcast "Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction."

According to her, "Trust, especially when it has been stripped from people, has to be rebuilt in a brick-by-brick fashion," she said.

"And so, what I say to people firstly is that I empathize, and then secondly is that I'm going to do my part in laying those bricks. And I think that if everyone on our side, as physicians and scientists, went about it that way, then the trust would start to be rebuilt."

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett

 

Black News Stories of the Year 2018

I’ve been writing these stories for a number of years and it gets difficulty to narrow the list. So let me start with the simple disclaimer, you may agree or disagree with the stories I selected. Go ahead and create your own list.

This year had number of twist and turns. A lot the year was summed up in the loss of innocence and those who were sound tracks to our lives (Aretha Franklin).  There was way too much focus on the domestic issues and not enough on external issues which have an indirect affect (Mexico/Europe/Middle East/Africa).

As a journalist, I can tell you a number of my colleagues died at the hands of people who would like to silence our work. The Committee to Protect Journalist said 53 journalist around the world died in 2018. The attack on the Capital Gazette Newspaper staff (5 people) in Annapolis (where I work for four months of the year) makes me think.   

My cynicism is checked by a continued optimism.  

10. Trap Music – You’ve heard it and probably didn’t understand it if you’re over thirty. I’ll try to explain but there will be music critics who will take exception to my personal explanation. It’s the natural progression of music coming from the “Dirty South,” Atlanta. As with most new musical genres in the current environment, it draws heavily on a particular beat, subtle keyboards and a steady thumpin bassline.  The raps aren’t as form fitting as much as it plays off of sounds like “skirrrr, skrettt, yo, dot-dot etc…” For a while it was confined to Strip Clubs, but it has gone mainstream (Mountain Dew ad contains the song – Can’t Do Drip-Drip). Current artist using this art form include the Migo’s, 2-Chainz, Cardi B, Young Thug and Quavo (and others). Some of the reigning kings of Hip-Hop, Drake and Lil Wayne, have laced their tracks with the sound. The creator is a young white guy from Canada who goes by the name of Murda-Beatz. Like Rick Rubin of Def Jam, the “white dude” would seem out of place, but knows how to make music. The man has an ear for music of this generation which he apparently can drop quicker than most producers.  

9. Ebony Owes – Full disclosure I worked for Ebony/Jet during the Freddie Gray Trials. A number of my friends also penned pieces for the magazine/online site. During my short tenure the revered magazines was brought by a pair of venture capitalist. While most welcomed the stability and the magazines attempt to exploit the online era, I was disappointed when scheduled payments were not received in a timely fashion (I did get paid). This affected a number of people in literally life threatening ways. It took a lawsuit to get the company to pay up and they still missed several payments. My late friend, Rashod Ollison, who could have used the payment got his check but it came after they buried him.

8. Science/History and Black People – This year I heard and you likely heard some of the stupidest things from people you like and had to say, “Aw Naw.” Where do I begin, Kyrie Irving of the Boston Celtics trying to clean up his conspiracy theory suggestion, “the world is flat because you can’t see beyond the horizon.” Seriously. Kayne West, telling TMZ, “slavery was a choice,” and the ultimate follow up in the Oval Office with the President, “The ‘Make America Great Again’ hat gives me power…we need to get rid of the thirteen amendment.” Lastly, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors suggesting “the moon landing was staged.” Each of these individuals recanted but can you “please, stay in your lane.”

7. Ethiopia/Eretria – The long simmering feud between these two countries came to end this year with the election of a new Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed. Ethiopia and Eretria had been locked in a cross border war for 30 years. Eretria declared its independence in 1993. The enmity was palatable. Hundreds fled the war torn region for the United States (Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Atlanta have large expatriate communities). Old wounds die hard on the Africa continent. Prime Minister Ahmed, who was much younger through off the shackles of the past and agreed to meet with Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki in the his capital, Asamara, unthinkable. The ending of this war bodes well for other conflicts in Sudan and Somali.

6. Losing to Win – As a Black Political reporter I have seen the way elections have shaped this unique landscape. Going back to Representative Shirley Chisolm’s run for President, and laying the foundation for hundreds of Black politicians in the seventies. Jesse Jackson’s run for President in the eighties paved the way for hundreds of politicians in small towns, large cities, and states to run for office. The election of Barack Obama as President showed people a road to winning. This year several gubernatorial candidates’ attempts to win governorship's were close (Stacey Abraham, Andrew Gillum, Ben Jealous, and Mike Espy). While their lost stings, it will set in motion an unprecedented wave of politicians to seek office across the country and the world.

5. Arts/Literature – Since the Obama’s are no longer in the “white hot” space of oval office they have settled into a Georgetown House in Washington, DC only to appear at official functions, lectures and other duties they deem worthy of their time. The unveiling of their official portraits this year was stunning because of the artist renditions of their likeness. Kehinde Wiley, painted the President’s portrait and Amy Sherald (she’s a Baltimore artist) used her talents to capture the former First Lady.

Each of these painters broke the mold on who they envision this power couple to be. You’ll want to watch what they do in the future.  Adding to this was Michelle Obama’s book, Becoming and accompanied sold out book tour. “You’ve got the Midas touch, everything I touch turns to Gold,” from Midnight Star.

Honorable mention in the book category was Zora Neal Hurston’s book, Barrcoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo. A riveting tale which was shelved and brought back to life by Black scholars who felt now was the time.

4. Meek Mill – Hip-hop seemed to find its common purpose in rallying behind rapper Meek Mill. Mill from Philadelphia was on probation from 2009 gun charge and drug possession. In the case, a Common Pleas Judge said Mill had violated his probation when he failed a drug test and two other arrests (which were dropped). The judge ordered him re-jailed in November 2017. After several Hip-Hop stars (Jay-Z, T.I and others) railed to his support. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this year agreed to let him out on bond until his case is heard.

Mill, who is a 76ers fan, was flown by helicopter to the game and sat court side with Owner Michael Rubin and Comedian Kevin Hart. Mill knows he’s been given a second chance, ”to the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, I’m grateful for your commitment to justice -- not only for my case, but for others that have been wrongfully jailed due to police misconduct."

3. Covering POTUS – From his often heard refrain of “fake news,” his public put downs of reporters, and of course his banning of a CNN Reporter at the White House (which was overturned), it’s been a year like no other. Then at a White House press briefing and a press scrum before departing on Marine One, POTUS targeted three African-American female reporters on November 10th and 11^th for their questions,

American Urban Radio’s April Ryan, PBS’s Yamiche Alcindor, and CNN’s Abby Phillip. Let’s put some facts on the table first. There aren’t enough people of color asking the POTUS questions. These three ladies are seasoned veterans. The fact he went specifically after them says a lot. Lastly, I am alarmed by the number of Reporters, News Organizations and Networks who’ve been targeted by mentally unstable individuals (and yes I think the President feeds their thinking). This year I looked over my shoulder a little more often and watched who was following me online. I will continue this practice going into the New Year.

2. Voter Suppression – It is real, it’s sophisticated, and cunning. After the amazing voter turnout of the Black electorate during the Obama years, a number of GOP operatives began to devise ways to suppress and counter “get out the vote” activities. It starts with limiting the number of early voting days, especially Sunday voting. This was known as “Souls to the Polls.” The next were nefarious attempts to bring photo identification to polls and make it more difficulty to get the proper identification. The inability of formerly incarcerated people to get their franchise back (Florida passed a constitutional voter referendum which will give thousands the right to vote). The last tactic was voter purges (those who hadn’t voted for a year(s) before an election were wiped from rolls). We now know it was much more sophisticated. Sources indicate that “Russian Troll Farms” used social media to sow distrust in the voting system specifically targeting African-Americans to depress vote totals. This year we learned a North Carolina man (and others) collected absentee ballots from a number of Democrats (mostly Black) and change their selectionsto a Republican or destroyed ballots. The GOP for all of its get tough on “voting fraud” is deftly silent. Where is the outcry and why isn’t someone in jail for voter fraud.

1. Black Life is Complicated – If you’re Black you already know this. If you aren’t, the explanations I lay out will seem like contradictions. For multiple generations, African-American parents and those with children who are conceived from mixed race couples have had to draw fine lines. We welcome you into the world with hundreds of possibilities and unlimited potential, then you have to go outside. “The talk” is so familiar that you know it goes with the territory.  from various white women calling police on Black people; the targeting of Black people by racists with guns in Kentucky; and the most recent incident of a young man having his dreadlocks cut in order to compete in wrestling tournament (which he won). The racism and white superiority conversation is real, and can’t be covered up by the “just get over it.”

Conversely, we saw the largest grossing film with a nearly an all-Black cast, Black Panther, set a new standard (with more to come). The impresario’s of style and culture maybe the Hip-Hop couple Beyonce and Jay-Z. Still there are hundreds of young men dying in this country at the hands of people who look like them over trivial matters because essentially “life is cheap.” I continue to believe the glass is half empty and “we need more water.”

Person of the Year: James Shaw, Jr.

Shaw from Nashville like so many of his age (29 years old) had finished a night of hanging out with friends at a nightclub. They decided to get breakfast. At 3:15 am, he was not alone when he entered a Waffle House in Antioch, Tennessee. It was filled with conversations over the order taking, the grill sizzle, and the clanking of dishes. Outside was Travis Reinking (a white man) who was sitting in his pickup truck with a AR-15 rifle. His intention was to kill as many people as possible in the restaurant (4 died in the shooting). When he started shooting Shaw ducked behind a swinging door leading to the restroom. He had been grazed but saw his opportunity when the shooting stopped. “I kind of made up my mind, because there was no way to lock that door, that if it was going to come down to it, he was going to have to work to kill me.” He rushed the shooter, taking the rifle, tossing it over the counter. The shooter would flee. After being treated at an area hospital, a woman who also was at the Waffle House, told him “you saved my life,” according to a newspaper report. Walt Ehmer, the president and chief executive of Waffle House said, “You don’t get to meet many heroes in life, Mr. Shaw, but you are a hero, you are my hero,” 

Yes, Shaw prevented others from being killed. He’s been honored by the state of Tennessee, Nashville, his alma mater Tennessee State, his fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. (I am a member) and others. He has taken his celebrity and created a foundation to help others. This act has changed a young man’s trajectory for good. In this year of 2018, James Shaw is my Person of the Year.