My 2018 Top Ten stories ?
2nd January 2019 · 0 Comments
By Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.
TriceEdneyWire.com Columnist
At the end of each year, people begin writing New Year’s resolutions that as they write them, they pretty much know they will not be keeping them! Yet, it’s a popular ritual. I know because I write the resolutions, too, with every intention of keeping them, but somehow, as the year goes by, I fall behind on keeping them.
Another ritual, we in our country tend to go through is “Top 10 Stories of the Year.” We don’t always agree to what those stories are. I’ve already read several lists of top stories for 2018. To make my point, I’ll use the Associated Press’ list of the top 10. On that list, not necessarily in order of importance, are: (1) Murder of Jamal Khashoggi, (2) Climate change, (3) California wildfires, (4) Kavanaugh hearings, (5) U.S. Immigration, (6) U.S. Midterm elections, (7) Mass shootings, (8) #MeToo movement, (9) Trump-Russia probe and (10) Parkland school shooting.
I agree all of the above are important stories; however, if you happen to be Black in America, you might say that all of those things concern you, and many were handled badly by the person who currently occupies the White House.
Just in case the AP’s list was in order of importance, we’d probably organize them in a different order, and have several more to add that would come pretty high on the list.
We would certainly place the following as top stories of the year – some good, some bad, but worthy of our attention:
(1) Voter suppression considering how votes were counted for Stacey Abrams in Georgia for Governor, Andrew Gillum in Florida for Governor, and Mike Espy for Senate in Mississippi. I’m also concerned about Beta O’Rourke’s campaign in Texas;
(2) All of the women who won offices at all levels for the first time;
(3) Colin Kaepernick’s continuing campaign for justice;
(4) Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming” and its phenomenal sales – being named the bestselling hardcover book of the year, selling over two million copies in the first 15 days;
(5) Democrats taking back the U.S. House of Representatives so they can block some of the craziness on the other side of the aisle;
(6) Parkland School Shooting and the aftermath of the attention the students brought to gun control;
(7) Proof that the current administration in charge of governing in Washington has lost all credibility and nothing can save them;
(8) Without completing it, the Mueller Investigation has shown us that #45 has nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He doesn’t know when to hold them, when to fold them, when to throw down and when to walk away, but now is a good time;
(9) President Barack Obama’s continuing to be a class act by bringing joy to so many – such as his recent visit to District of Columbia Children’s National Medical Center while bearing gifts;
(10) The absolute unending, never-before-seen craziness, lying, dangerous, stupid, criminal behavior we continue to witness from the occupant in the White House – the one who promised to “clean up the swamp.”
Each day I wake up, I turn on the news to see what we’re facing for the coming day. Even staff members don’t know until they hear #45’s plans on the news! From tweets, we learn that we are in for another crazy, unpredictable day.
There were many good things that happened in 2018, but they were overshadowed by the antics of #45 who dominated the news week after week, not in a good way, but what is believed to be criminal behavior. Many of us are left wondering when will this be over!
Dr. E. Faye Williams is National President of the National Congress of Black Women, Inc. (www.nationalcongressbw.org and www.respectus.store 202/678-6788.
This article originally published in the December 31, 2018 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
