Winter 2020.

Winter 2020

After all of these years, I am still here. In a few short years, I will be 40 years old. As I approach middle age in 2020, I realize the importance of my ancestors plus the heroism of people in the modern generation. Harriet Tubman's courage is always admirable, and the love of Africa shown by Malcolm X will always be noted. In life, we respect sources, citations, and facts. We deal with a lot of deceptions today from fraudulent movements to deceptive political leaders. One of the biggest deceptions is Donald Trump. Even the pro-Evangelical magazine Christianity Today has an article desiring Trump to be removed from office because of his immorality, his political corruption, and his other repugnant behavior. We already realize that Trump’s views and actions are antithetical to the teachings of Jesus Christ and of integrity in general. For example, Donald Trump on August 21, 2019 falsely saw himself as a Messianic like figure. He also called himself the “chosen one." He is person who praises Putin so much that he said that Trump won’t renounce Putin when Putin has promoted blatantly anti-democratic rights policies. Putin has signed a law that no Christians can evangelize outside of their churches. This is against religious liberty and makes Putin a total enemy of the freedom of speech. Trump has shown love to many dictators like Kim Jong-un, who persecutes dissidents and Christians. Many hypocritical people who claim to worship God love Trump when Trump said that he doesn’t want to repent or seek forgiveness. He has sexualized women and bragged about bragging women in vulgar ways. Trump has disrespected veterans and anyone who disagrees with his views. We live in the days where our rights are further being violated. It took a federal judge to prevent Trump from interfering with the freedom of the press after he tried to ban the reporter Jim Acosta from White House press briefing. At a rally in Iowa in 2016, Donald Trump said: "I like money. I’m very greedy. I’m a greedy person. I shouldn’t tell you that, I’m a greedy — I’ve always been greedy. I love money, right?” So, he tells the world who he is, but a segment of people still agree with him unconditionally. His supporters are beyond brainwashed. They are complicit in Trump's agenda 100 percent.

In life, never ever say that you can't. There are paralyzed people who know complex mathematical equations. There are people with multiple disabilities with happy homes, children, and a very blessed life. There are people who suffered horrendous turmoil, but rose up to be great scholars and great leaders in real life. Therefore, folks should always recognize their intrinsic value and recognize the great light that they possess in their souls. Greatness is not found in fame, but in inward power that can cause humanity to achieve great things. For example, unsung human beings show greatness on a daily basis. The Trump administration is having a war against the democratic rights of the American people. Trump should be charged with more than 2 articles in my view. Trump should be impeached on more than just 2 counts. Trump promoted the separation of immigrant children and parents. He promotes the unconstitutional building of a border ban. He advances an immoral ban on Muslim visitors from certain nations, and he has whipped up racist, xenophobic, and fascist forces in the world. Also, it is important to stand up against the censorship of the Internet agenda. The problems with the National Defense Authorization Act is that it removes the provision that bars U.S. military assistance to the Saudi war in Yemen, it doesn't ban the deployment of submarine launched medium range missiles that violate the INF treaty, and it eliminates requiring Trump to get congressional approval for military strikes on Iran.

There is an epidemic of homelessness in America. When I went into Los Angeles back during May of 2019, I saw a lot of homeless people. There are about 568,000 homeless people in America right now. More people are living outdoors than many years ago. That is why protests, vigils, and programs are in existence to fight for better conditions among people. The rise in the stock market is not telling the whole story of the American economy. Wall Street benefits heavily by the exploitation of workers for the sake of the accumulation of profit. Today, we have the opiod overdose crisis, gun violence, and the rising suicide rate even among younger Americans. There has been a lower American life expectancy than a few years ago. After the 2008 recession, many jobs that some people got are low wage jobs of the gig economy. Tons of people have to relay on Uber or Grubhub to get extra crash for survival. The 400 richest people in America combined have more wealth than the bottom 64 percent. With corporate and estate taxes cut, the 91 of the largest corporations pay zero or negative federal income taxes. There is a wealth gap that black Americans have experienced for decades that very few people in the mainstream level are addressing. Trump cutting SNAP will led into starvation. That is why moderation doesn't work. Only progressive, structural change can solve these problems.

The 2010's


As we see the 2010's end and the start of the 2020s, we witness a lot of changes in the world atmosphere. The start of the 2010s saw a global financial recession worldwide, more awareness of climate change, and the complexities of the war on terror. The European sovereign debt crisis existed along with austerity policies being executed in Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain. Economic factors led to the rise of populist movements like 15-M and Occupy movements. That is why Occupy Wall Street grew heavily in NYC and worldwide. The economic and political problems in the Middle East caused some unrest in Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Yemen, as well as civil wars in Libya and Syria, in a widespread phenomenon commonly referred to in the Western world as the Arab Spring, with repercussions from the conflicts continuing into the 2020s. Today, America is a global superpower with China being assertive in trade deals with other nations (and their economic initiatives). America and China still have disputes in the South China Sea and in Africa over political plus financial interests. North Korea and South Korea still are debating their futures. Music and culture increasingly became more globalized with artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Nas, Adele, Lizzo, Jay Z, etc. That is why cloud services, streaming services, and international concerts have made music even more accessible than 10 years ago. Osama bin Laden was assassinated by U.S. forces in Pakistan. The ISIS movement spread in the 2010s before its defeat in Iraq as a governmental entity. Russia's influence and power has expanded. The migrant crisis as a result of wars and economic dislocation have allowed people of color (black people and those of Arabic descent) to travel into Europe. It is the largest migrant crisis since the end of World War II. Many Europeans hypocritically want no migrants when European imperialists are known for stealing land plus resources in the Middle East plus Africa.

The Internet in the 2010s have advanced with wireless networking devices, mobile telephony, and cloud computing. There is now 5G broadband and data being displayed in many locations. iPhone 11 is here presently. Debates about civil liberties are represented by the stories of Edward Snowden and Julian Assange. We still have a problem with mass surveillance and information privacy (and how private entities and the government must not violate human civil liberties). That is why even during the years when George W. Bush was President, I opposed the Patriot Act on civil liberty grounds. There are more women and other representation in parts of society, but oppression is still here in a high level globally. Major natural disasters included the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the Nepal earthquake of 2015, the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami, and the devastating hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Dorian, Haiyan (Yolanda) and Sandy. The Dorian Hurricane has destroyed lives heavily in the Bahamas in 2019. The Black Lives Matter movement defined a decade in them confronting police brutality. Various populist movements in general dominated this era of time. Therefore, the 2010's certainly made history in enumerable ways.

The Early Part of the Decade

The early 2010’s saw massive developments in world history. At the start of 2010 on January, the tallest man-made structure to date called the Burj Halifa in Dubai (United Arab Emirates) officially opened. The 7.0 magnitude Earthquake occurred in Haiti. It killed people in Port-au-Prince, and throughout Haiti. Many charities helped many people. Over 316,000 people died from the Earth which was the tenth deadliest on record. To this very day, Haitians are fighting for justice. Haitian residents are opposed to the corrupt not only found in some governmental leaders but from also big corporate foundations (including NGOs plus corruption UN Peacekeepers) that are exploiting Haiti's wealth. Yemen battled al-Qaeda. The Chadian Civil War ended in early 2010. By February of 2010, another Earthquake happened in Chile with an 8.8 magnitude. In April of 2010, there was an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. It killed 11 workers. Later, the Horizon oil spill came about. It was one of the largest oil spills in history. It spread for month and damaged the waters of America. Many animal species were destroyed because of that oil spill. People soon debated offshore drilling and corporations were sued. The European sovereign debt crisis continued in April 27, 2010 when  Standard and Poor's downgraded Greece's sovereign credit rating to junk 4 days after the activation of a €45-billion EU–IMF bailout, triggering the decline of stock markets worldwide and of the euro's value. By May of 2010, the IMF and Eurozone bailout Greece, but they issued Greek austerity measures. In Thailand, there was a political clash. On July 25, 2010,  WikiLeaks, an online publisher of anonymous, covert, and classified material, leaks to the public over 90,000 internal reports about the United States-led involvement in the War in Afghanistan from 2004 to 2010. In August of 2010, the WHO called the H1N1 influenza pandemic as over. Germany makes its final reparation payment for World War I on October 6, 2010. On November 13, 2010, Burmese opposition politician Aung San Suu Kyi was released from her house arrest after being incarcerated since 1989. By December 17, 2010, The attempted suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor in Tunisia, triggered the Tunisian Revolution and the wider Arab Spring throughout the Arab world. In January of 2011, the Arab Spring spread across the Middle East. Many people in the Arab Spring were sincere about freedom and justice. Others were aided by the neo-cons and Western interests. South Sudan by 2011 created a new nation.

On February 11, 2011, the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned after widespread protests in Egypt call for his departure. Egypt became in control of the military until a general election was created. It is not a secret that the U.S. sends tons of military aid to Egypt. It sends the second most to the Middle East to Egypt except Israel (which is number one).  In the words of General Anthony Zinni, former Commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM): “Egypt is the most important country in my area of responsibility because of the access it gives me to the region.” In turn General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, was in permanent contact with his counterpart General Sedki Sobhi,  chief of staff of Egypt’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF): "Pentagon officials declined to give specifics on the conversations between Hagel and al-Sisi, but chief Pentagon spokesman George Little said that “US officials at all levels [of the military] have made it clear that we support the democratic process in Egypt and that we hope that this period of tension can be resolved in a peaceful manner and that violence can be avoided. … (Military.com).


In March of 2011, there was the civil uprising phrase of the Syrian Civil War. This was when 15 youths in Daraa are arrested for scrawling graffiti on their school wall denouncing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The tsunami in Japan on March 11, 2011 in a 9.0 magnitude Earthquake killed 15,840 people. 3,926 people were missing. It harmed nuclear power plants in the region too. On March 15, 2011, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, declared a three-month state of emergency as troops from the Gulf Co-operation Council are sent to quell the civil unrest. On March 15, 2011, Protests breakout across Syria demanding democratic reforms, resignation of President Bashar al-Assad, and release of those imprisoned for the March 6 Daraa protest. The government responded by killing hundreds of protesters and laying siege to various cities, beginning the Syrian Civil War. On March 17, 2011, the United Nations Security Council votes 10–0 to create a no-fly zone over Libya in response to allegations of government aggression against civilians. In Libya, Libyan rebels fight the forces of Muammar Gaddafi’s military. Later, French fighters make use reconnaissance flights over Libya in March of 2011. Prince William and Catherine Middleton marry at Westminster Abbey in London on April 29, 2011. On May 1, 2011, U.S. President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden (the founder and leader of al-Qaeda) was killed in Pakistan (via an American military operation). People celebrated worldwide. On July 21, 2011, Space Shuttle Atlantis landed successfully at Kennedy Space Center after completing STS-135, concluding NASA's Space Shuttle program. On July 22, 2011, in Norway, Anders Behring Breivik killed 8 people in a bomb blast which targeted government buildings in central Oslo, then kills 69 at a massacre at a Workers' Youth League camp on the island of Utøya. Anders was a racist and extremist. On September of 2011, Occupy Wall Street protests occurred nationwide and worldwide.

Occupy Wall Street want to end economic oppression by the 1%. October 18, 2011 was the time of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange: Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas begin a major prisoner exchange, in which the captured Israeli Army soldier Gilad Shalit is released by Hamas in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian and Israeli-Arabic prisoners held in Israel, including 280 prisoners serving life sentences for planning and perpetrating terror attacks. Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in Sirte on October 20, 2011 with the National Transitional Council forces ruling the city. The war in Libya ended. Afterwards, there have been more conflicts in Libya, black African people being murdered by Arabic racists in Libya, and slave trading of black African people. Slave auctions against black Libyans have been talked about for years to this very day. According to the Professor  Maximilian Forte (from Montreal’s Concordia University): "Racial fear and xenophobia were at the very crux of the first public calls for Western military intervention, and were the basis for the first utterance of the need for a “no-fly zone” … The myth of the “African mercenary” was useful for the Libyan opposition, the NTC [National Transitional Council] and the militias, to insist that this was a war between “Gaddafi and the Libyan people,” as if he had no domestic support at all…" His book, Slouching Towards Sirte: NATO’s War on Libya and Africa, contains essential summary context laying out the role that international media played in 2011 and after, including CNN itself, in fueling the xenophobic campaign to scapegoat Libya’s over one million strong black population as “pro-Gaddafi mercenaries."

By December 15, 2011, America ended its war in Iraq. The start of 2012 saw a bombing in Pakistan. The European Union adopted an embargo against Iran over Iran trying to enrich uranium. On March 22, 2012, the President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Touré, is ousted in a coup d'état after mutinous soldiers attacked government offices. Putin was elected President of Russia on May 7, 2012. Muslim Brotherhood member Mohamed Morsi was elected President of Egypt on June 30, 2012 (which was controversial). On July of 2012, the Aurora, Colorado mass shooting happened by James Holmes. He killed 12 people with 58 people being injured at a movie theater. Turkish adventurer Erden Eruç becomes the first person in history to complete a solo human-powered circumnavigation of the Earth on July 21, 2012. The historic 2012 London Summer Olympics was held at London, England, United Kingdom. The rover called Curiosity landed on Mars in August. November 2012 was when Barack Obama was reelected President of the United Sates. Barack Obama defeated Mitt Romney in a hard fought election. Barack Obama saw 2 terms as President. The Sandy Hook mass shooting happened at Sandy Hook, Connecticut by December of 2012.

Sandy Hook is an elementary school where the killer murdered 28 people including the gunman was killed too. By January 2013, people died in Pakistan after bomb blasts. French military forces go into Mali to target Ansar Dine. North Korea has its nuclear test on February 12, 2013. By February of 2012, American scientists use a 3D printer to create a living lab-grown ear from collagen and animal ear cell cultures. In the future, it is hoped that similar ears could be grown to order as transplants for human patients suffering from ear trauma or amputation. Pope Francis became Pope on March 13, 2013. He is the first Jesuit Pope. On June 6, 2013, Former CIA employee Edward Snowden disclosed operations engaged in by a U.S. government mass surveillance program to news publications and flees the country, later being granted temporary asylum in Russia. PlayStation 4 was released in November of 2013. By 2014, more developments have occurred. In February of 2014, there was the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa. It killed over 11,000 people. The Winter Olympic was in February of 2014 in Sochi, Russia. In the same month, there was the Ukrainian Revolution. The Malaysia Airline Flight 370 crashed into the Indian Ocean on March 8, 2014. Russia takes over Crimea later on. Donetsk declared independence from Ukraine. On April 14, 2014, about 276 girls and women were kidnapped and held hostage from a school in Nigeria. The Boko Haram terrorists are involved in the kidnapping. The Flint water is switched causing the 2014 Flint water crisis. Barack Obama executed new economic sanctions against Russia. On June 5, 2014, a  Sunni militant group called the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (also known as the ISIS or ISIL) begins an offensive through northern Iraq, aiming to capture the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad and overthrow the Shiite government led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik. Germany won the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. People fight ISIL by June. In 2014, the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri causes a new era of the black freedom movement. The Black Lives Matter movement and other social movements increased their power to confront police brutality. Scotland voted against independence in a September 2014 referendum. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the final part of its Fifth Assessment Report, warning that the world faces "severe, pervasive and irreversible" damage from global emissions of CO2 (on November 2, 2014). The One World Trade Center was opened on November 3, 2014 or the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. Japanese sent a space probe into space. U.S. President Barack Obama announced resumption of normal relations with the U.S. and Cuba by December 17, 2014. On December 28, 2014, Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 from Surabaya, Indonesia to Singapore crashes into the Java Sea just southwest of Borneo, killing all 162 people on board. The 2010’s was a very eventful decade indeed.

Massive Developments

2015 is a year of mighty developments. On January 1, 2015, the Eurasian Economic Union came into effect. It created a political and economic union between Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.  Lithuania adopted the euro as its currency replacing the litas. It is the 19th Eurozone country to have done so on that date. There was a large massacre in Baga, Nigeria by Boko Haram when that group destroyed villages. More than 2,000 people were killed in villages from January 3-7, 2015. In Paris, France, 2 gunmen (belonging to Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch) killed 12 people and injured 11 more at the Paris headquarters of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. Demonstrations occurred against terrorism. Charlie Hebdo made xenophobic, racist images for years, but people should not be murdered because of their reprehensible views. People should agree to disagree on issues peacefully and without violence. Government raids kill 143 Boko Haram fighters in Kolofata, Cameroon. Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi resigned in January 22, 2015 after unrest plus the Houthi rebels seized the Presidential palace. On February 12, 2015, both Ukraine and Russia had a ceasefire and fighting still continues. Egypt attacked ISIL forces in Libya after ISIL members beheaded over a dozen Egyptian Christians. From March 5-8, ISIL forces destroyed the ancient cities of Nimrod, Hatra, and Dur Sharrukin. NASA’s Dawn probe went to the orbit of Ceres, which is a dwarf planet. A total social eclipse occurred on March 20, 2015 on the North Atlantic, and Faroe Islands, Svalbard. This was the 61st eclipse of the 120th saros cycle that started on May 27, 983 and will end on July 7, 2195. Saudi Arabia led an offensive against Yemen on March 25, 2015. Al-Shahaab used terrorism and killed 148 people, mostly students in Kenya. An April 25 earthquake in 2015 has killed many people in Nepal, China, and Bangladesh. ISIS captured the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria by May 21, 2015. On May 23, 2015 Ireland votes to legalize same sex marriage being the first country to legalize same sex marriage by popular vote. On June 17, 2015, nine African Americans were murdered by the coward Dylan Roof at the Charleston Church shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in downtown Charleston, South Carolina. The Charleston community came together in unity to fight racism and eliminate that Confederate flag from Capitol grounds. That elimination of that Confederate flag was very historic. Bree Newsome took the flag down previous to the state government doing it. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court decided on Obergefell v. Hodges that same sex marriage is recognized in all 50 states. The decision was a 5-4 decision.

On June 30, 2015, Cuba was the first nation on Earth to eradicate mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis. Greece struggles to pay off its debt. Sandra Bland died mysteriously in jail on July 13, 2015 after she was pulled over for a traffic stop in Texas. On July 14, 2015, the Iranian nuclear deal exists and NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft fly over Pluto. Turkey attacks ISIL too. By September 1, Queen Elizabeth II became the longest reigning British monarch in history. Russia supports the Syrian government and uses air strikes on ISIL on September 30, 2015. Gunmen fire at a workplace in San Bernardino, California. 14 people were killed. ISIL claimed responsibility. On December 15, 2015, the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition was formed in order to fight terrorism.

In 2016, more occurrences transpired. On January 3, 2016, the execution of Mir al-Nimr has caused Saudi Arabia and other countries to end their diplomatic relations with Iran. Joaquin Guzman was recaptured on January 8, 2016 after his escape from a maximum security prison in Mexico. On January 16, 2016, the International Atomic Energy Agency said that Iran has adequately dismantled its nuclear weapons programs, allowing the United Nations to lift sanctions immediately. Terrorism happened in Burkina Faso in a hotel and restaurants. 176 hostages were released. 30 people were killed, and 56 people were injured. Zika virus is worldwide by January 28. Pope Francis and Patriarch Krill of the Orthodox Church signed an Ecumenical Declaration. This is the first such meeting since their schism in 1054. Convicted war criminal Congolese former Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba is guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity (like sexual violence). Bombings in Brussels have happened. 49 people were killed, and 53 people were injured at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12, 2016. The murderer was the 29 year old security guard Omar Mateen. The gunman claimed allegiance to the Islamic state. The Brexit movement starts in June 23 when the UK votes on a referendum to leave the European Union. ISIL is suspected in the 2016 Ataturk Airport attack on June 28. The historic 2016 Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. This is the first time it was held in a South American nation. The Summer Olympic games happened from August 5-21, 2016. On September 24, 2016, the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NHAAHC) was opened to the public. That was a very historic event. It had 1.9 million visitors in 2018. It is gorgeous, powerful, and important museum. It has about 40,000 collections of items. It records the culture and history of African Americans for centuries. It was started decades ago. The authorization to make the museum came about in 2003. The NMAAHC is a magnificent display of what black culture is all about. By September 28, 2016, Global CO2 levels exceeded 400 ppm at the time of the year that usually exists with minimum levels. This level is higher than anything experienced in human history according to many. On November 2, 2016, the Chicago Cubs won the World Series for the first time in American sports history.  November 8, 2016 was the date that will live in infamy. It was the end of the 2016 Presidential election in America where Trump won by the Electoral College. Also, we find that U.S. intelligence agencies found out that Russian government officials used computer hacking to try to interfere with the U.S. election process. Trump bragged about sexual improprieties. WikiLeaks released thousands of private emails from inside the political campaign of candidate Hillary Clinton. On December 23, 2016, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2334, condemning Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. On December 31, 2016, the United States troops withdraw from Afghanistan after 15 years.

On 2017, we see new developments. On January 1, 2017, there was the Istanbul nightclub shooting with a gunman dressing up as Santa Claus. January 20, 2017 was when Donald Trump was sworn in as President. By January 21, 2017, millions of people worldwide join the Women’s March in response to the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States. 420 marches were reported in America. On January 30, 2017, Morocco rejoined the African Union. North Korea tested a ballistic missile over the Sea of Japan on February 11, 2017. Kim Jon-nam was assassinated by 2 women with VX nerve agent at Kaula Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. He was the eldest son of the deceased Kim Jong-Il. March 20, 2017 was when the UN warned of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, Somalia, South Sudan, and Nigeria as the biggest humanitarian crisis since the days of World War II. A terror attack was outside the Palace of Westminster in London, killed 5 people and injuring 50 others on March 22, 2017. The U.S. drops the MOAB bomb at the ISIL base in eastern Afghanistan on April 13, 2017. MOAB is the world’s largest non-nuclear weapon.  By May 9, 2017, Trump fired FBI Director James Comey This has lead to the calls for the appointment of a special counsel. On May 17, 2017, former FBI Director Robert Mueller was appointed Special Counsel for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election. A terrorist bombing attack was at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester, England. 22 people were killed and more than 500 people were injured.  The U.S. left the Paris Climate Agreement by June of 2017. Another Islamist terror attack happened on London Bridge that killed 8 people and injured 48 others on June 3, 2017. By June, Theresa May is a leader in the UK with Jeremy Corbyn gaining power of the Labour party. Cyberattacks happened in Ukraine. Mosul was liberated from ISIL by July 10, 2017.

 

The violence in Charlottesville, Virginia happened at the racist, anti-Semitic Unite the Right Rally on the date of August 11-12, 2017. Heather Heyer, who was a counter protester, was killed after being hit by a car by a white supremacist. Violence against innocent protesters happened that the location. A total solar eclipse is seen in America on August 21, 2017. Harvey was a hurricane in a Category 4 that damaged the Houston metropolitan area (especially with record breaking floods). 108 deaths were recorded and damage was $125 billion making Harvey the costliest natural disaster in United States history (it landed on soil by August 26, 2017) tied with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Putin expelled 755 diplomats in response to U.S. sanctions. Hurricane Irma harmed the Caribbean and America killed 146 people plus causing $64.2 billion in damage. On September 13, 2017, the International Olympic Committee awarded Paris and Los Angeles to host the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics respectively. On October 1, 2017, 58 people were killed and 851 people injured when Stephen Paddock fired his gun on a crowd in Las Vegas. It was the deadliest mass shooting done by one single gunman in modern U.S. history. The Iraqis said that they are liberated of the ISIL group on October 17, 2017. President Xi won the election in China. Catalonia declared independence from Spain on October 27, but Spain doesn’t recognize it. A rental truck killed 8 people and injured 11 others in Lower Manhattan, NYC on October 31, 2017. There is a Sutherland Springs Baptist church shooting when 26 people died and 20 more are injured. President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest on November 15, 2017. A mosque attack in Sinai, Egypt killed 305 worshipers. Hundreds more were wounded. Russia is banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang by the International Olympic Committee over doping allegations. America officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital on December 6, 2017. The Iraqi military said that it has liberated its lands from ISIL by December 9, 2017. Disney acquired most of 21st century FOX. Many nations like Guatemala moved their Israeli embassy to Jerusalem by December 24, 2017. The end of 2017 represents the start of the end of the 2010’s decade.

The End of the Decade




On January 13, 2018, there was the killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud in an encounter staged by the police officer Rao Anwar in Karachi, Pakistan. This sparked nationwide protests against extrajudicial killings.  The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (or the Pashtun Protection Movement), led by Manzoor Pashteen, launched a campaign to seek justice for Mehsud. On January 20, 2018, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of a military offensive to capture a portion of northern Syria from Kurdish forces. This continued the Kurdish and Turkish conflict. From January 20-22, 2018, there is a federal government shutdown over a dispute over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (in dealing with immigration). Scientists in China by January 24, as reported in the journal Cell, created the first monkey clones using somatic cell nuclear transfer. These scientists are Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua. On January 31, a total lunar eclipse takes place. The Moon appears as super moon, with perigee being on January 30. It is also the first blue moon eclipse since 1983. It was also referred to as the super blue blood moon. Space X conducted its maiden flight of its most powerful rocket to date. It was the Falcon Heavy from LC39A at John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 6. The Winter Olympics took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea on February 9-25, 2018. On February 10, Kay Goldsworthy becomes the first woman archbishop in the Anglican Communion on her installation in the Anglican Diocese of Perth, Western Australia. Jacob Zuma resigned as President of South Africa after 9 years in power on February 14. On that day, a school shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, United States, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others. This caused a regrowth of the gun control movement nationwide in the United States of America. Protests and walk outs occur in schools nationwide. Former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, are poisoned by the Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, England. UK counter-terrorism police investigate amid speculation the Kremlin was behind the incident. It happened on March 4. The 2018 Winter Paralympics are held in Pyeongchang, South Korea from March 9 to March 18, 2018. On March 9, President Donald Trump accepted an invitation from the North Korean leader Jim Jong-un for a meeting in May to discuss the denuclearization of North Korea. Putin is reelected. On March 24, over 900 cities have the March for Our Lives in protests against gun violence and mass shootings. More than 100 Russian diplomats are expelled by more than 20 countries in the wake of the poisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal by March 26. North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-un meets Chinese paramount leader Xi Jinping, leaving the country for the first time since assuming office in 2011 (on March 28). The 2018 Commonwealth Games were held in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia (from April 4-15).

On April 5, 2018, Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was given an arrest warrant after a vote by the Supreme Court voted 6–5 in favor of denying his habeas corpus, due to corruption and other scandals. Lula da Silva is a progressive person, and the far right wanted Lula to be gone unjustly in order to prop up a right wing Brazilian government. The sarin chemical attack happened in Douma, Syria kiled at least 70 people. Cinemas open in Saudi Arabia for the first time to show the film Black Panther. Miguel Diaz Cnael was President of Cuba in April 19. Kim Jong-un crossed into South Korea to meet with President Moon Jae-in, becoming the first North Korean leader to cross the Demilitarized Zone since its creation in 1953 (on April 27). Trump ended the Iranian nuclear agreement in May 8. On May 19, 2018, there was the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is held at St George's Chapel, England, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion. The 2018 Venezuelan presidential election was held with incumbent President Nicolás Maduro reelected with 67.8% of the vote and the lowest turnout in Venezuela's modern democratic history since the 1958 coup d'état. This was on May 20. America and the European Union plus others want Venezuela to be a pro-Western puppet state. On May 31, 2018, the U.S. announced that it will extend its tariffs on imported steel (25%) and aluminum (10%) to include the EU, Mexico and Canada, starting at midnight. The G7 meeting happened in Canada. Eritrea and Ethiopia end their conflict in July 9, 2018. Apple Inc. becomes the world's first public company to achieve a market capitalization of $1 trillion on August 2, 2018. On October 2, 2019,  the Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, triggering a diplomatic crisis for Saudi Arabia.

The United States Senate confirmed Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the United States Supreme Court by a margin of 50-48, making it the closest successful confirmation vote of a Supreme Court nominee since 1881 (on October 6, 2018). The IPCC releases its Special Report on Global Warming (on October 8, 2019) of 1.5ºC, warning that "rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society" are needed to ensure that global warming is kept below 1.5 °C. The far-right Jair Bolsonaro is elected as the next President of Brazil, with 55% of the vote on October 28. The Camp Fire ignites in Butte County, California. It became California's deadliest and most destructive wildfire, with 88 deaths and 18,804 buildings destroyed (on November 8, 2018). November 11, 2018 was when many nations commemorated the end of World War I in a centenary. There was Armistice Day, Veterans Day, and Remembrance Day ceremonies in Europe plus in America via speeches, parades, and memorials. NASA’s Insight probe landed on the surface of Mars on November 26. Chinese scientist He Jiankui, at a public conference in Hong Kong, announced that he has altered the DNA of twin human girls born earlier in the month to try to make them resistant to infection with the HIV virus; he also reveals the possible second pregnancy of another gene-modified baby in November 28. By December 1-8, the yellow vest movement existed in France. The United States government entered a second government shutdown (starting on December 22, 2018), arising over a dispute over funding for the U.S.–Mexico border wall. The shutdown, which lasted until January 25, 2019, is the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

These are Afro-Brazilians fighting for justice and black liberation. 

2019 is the last year of the 2010 decade. Jair Bolsonaro or the right wing extremist started his four year term as President of Brazil. The unmanned space probe called New Horizon went to the Kulper belt. Qatar leaves OPEC, and Austria legalized same sex marriage on January 1, 2019. China landed the probe of Chang’e 4 to land on the far side of the Moon. A faction of the Armed Forces of Gabon announces a coup d'état. Gabon's government later declared that it has reasserted control. On January 10, 2019, Venezuela entered a constitutional crisis as Juan Guaidó and the National Assembly declare incumbent President Nicolás Maduro "illegitimate" and start the process of attempting to remove him. A suicide bombing happened in Bogota, Colombia killing 22 people and injuring 68 others. The U.S. Justice Department charges Chinese tech firm Huawei with multiple counts of fraud, raising U.S.–China tensions (on January 28, 2019). On February 7, 2019, many anti-government protests happen in Haiti. They want Haitian President Jovenel Moise to resign. India and Pakistan had a standoff over lands. The February 27-28, 2019 North Korea–United States summit is held in Hanoi, Vietnam. It is the second summit between United States President Donald Trump and the North Korean Chairman Kim Jong-un. There is the March blizzard in Colorado and other places of America. On March 15, 2019, 51 people are killed and 50 others injured in terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand: Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre, both of which were the target of shootings by Australia-born Brenton Harrison Tarrant. It is the deadliest mass shooting and terrorist attack in New Zealand's history and described by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as "one of New Zealand's darkest days.” Subsequently, Facebook announced they had disabled 1.5 million videos of the gunman's rampage. In March 2019, the final area of the ISIL is liberated. April 11, 2019 was when Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange was forcibly arrested after 7 years in Ecuador’s embassy in London. Questions about due process relate to Assange. Sudan is deposed of Omar al-Bashir. The Notre Dame cathedral almost burns up on April 15, 2019. The Mueller report is released to the public on April 18, 2019 that exposes the Russian interference in the 2016 United States Presidential Election. Avengers: Endgame is released in theaters, breaking many box-office records, including becoming the highest grossing movie of all time by April. On May 3-6, 2019, the Gaza–Israel conflict escalates after the Israeli military launched airstrikes into Gaza killing more than 20 Palestinians including a pregnant woman and a toddler following the injury of two soldiers from Gazan sniper fire.

 In its first report (on May 6) since 2005, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) warned that biodiversity loss is "accelerating", with over a million species now threatened with extinction; the decline of the natural living world is "unprecedented" and largely a result of human actions, according to the report. June 3, 2019 was the Khartoum massacre. It was when more than 100 people are killed when Sudanese troops and Janjaweed militiamen storm and opened fire on a protest camp outside of a military headquarters in Khartoum, Sudan. The African Union suspends Sudan's membership "with immediate effect" after the Khartoum massacre. The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup is held in France and is won by the United States by July 7. The July National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported on August 15, that July 2019 was the hottest month on record globally, at 0.95 °C (1.71 °F) above the 20th-century average. On July 17, 2019, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, former head of the Sinaloa Cartel, which became the biggest supplier of drugs to the U.S., is sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years. July 21 was when a mob of over 100 suspected triad members dressed in white and armed with batons attack commuters indiscriminately at MTR Yuen Long station in Hong Kong, injuring 45, including a pro-democracy legislator and a pregnant woman. Hong Kong police have been accused of allowing the violence to happen due to their delayed response and decision to limit emergency services in the area. In August of 2019, there were mass shootings in a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas and at Dayton, Ohio.

Hurricane Dorian damaged the Bahamas on September 1 with winds of 185 mph. 43 deaths are reported. September saw Hong Kong anti-extradition bill protests. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam announced the official withdrawal of the controversial Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019, and setting up of an independent study to probe social and economic inequality within the territory. Chandrayaan-2, India's second lunar probe, was successful to put the orbit in lunar orbit, but the lander Vikram crashed into the surface of the moon. On September 27, 2019, 500,000 people march in a climate change protest led by activist Greta Thunberg and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Montreal, Canada. 70 years after the Chinese Revolution, Hong Kong protests continue. On October 27, U.S. President Donald Trump announces that the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed in a U.S. special forces operation. It was reported that al-Baghdadi detonated a suicide vest after being chased into a tunnel. Twitter bans all political advertising worldwide. November 13 was when public impeachment hearings against Donald Trump started in the House of Representatives. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust on November 21. December 5 was when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asks the House Judiciary Committee to begin drafting articles of impeachment against U.S. President Donald Trump. The World Anti-Doping Agency (on December 5, 2019) votes unanimously to ban Russia from international sport for four years for doping offences, meaning it will be excluded from the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. December 20 was when the House announced charges of impeachment against Trump. Donald Trump is the forth U.S. President to face impeachment.

*By the 2010's, music changed. The melismatic vocals were replaced with other artists in the 2010s like Beyonce, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift Lady Gaga, and Rihanna. By the mid 2010's indie pop artists grew like Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, Lorde, and Birdy. Many traditional instruments were expressed like the ukulele, bongos, banjos, and the accordion. During the 2010's, hip hop music grew as a genre too. By 2017, with the increase in streaming services over the Billboard 100, hip hop music became the most popular genre in the U.S. in its 4th decade of growth. This decade saw movements like trap music, cloud rap, drill music, and emo hip hop being mainstream. Many famous hip hop artists of the 2010's include Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott, Young Thug, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Big Sean, ASAP Rocky, etc. Experimental rock, gospel, EDM, and other forms of Eurodance were popular in the decade of the 2010's. David Guetta and Calvin Harris expressed influences of europop and electronica. This is shown in the songs shown by Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Kesha. Flo Rida, Pittbull, and the Black Eyed Pes have mixed genres in their expression. Teen pop, K-pop,J-pop, et. including C-pop grown. UK artists like Emeli Sande, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Sma Smith, Elel GOulding, Jessie J, and others increased their popularity during the 2010's.

The Start of 2020

2020 is here. I certainly blessed enough to witness almost a quarter of the 21st century being completed. This is a new decade too which has been characterized by a rapid advance of technology (from Oculus to 5G cell phone devices), innovative shows, new social movements, and the same dedication to justice which is embraced by people from across generations. 2020 began on Wednesday, and the start of this new decade of the 2020s is undoubtedly filled with excitement. Also, problems from the previous decade continue in this new decade. For example, the U.S. is sending more troops to the Middle East after tensions arising at the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad. Iraqi nationalists and pro-Iranian protesters have existed. Iranian and American relations are bad at this moment. This year will see the proceeding of the impeachment trial of the Senate. Trump is now an impeached President in 2020. This year will witness historic anniversaries as well. This year of 2020 is the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Many of our grandparents and great-grandparents were veterans of World War II. The Allied Powers did the right thing to stop the genocide of Jewish people plus others (who were victims of the Shoah) and to liberate millions of people in multiple continents from Axis tyranny. This year will be the 25th year anniversary of the creation of the controversial World Trade Organization (WTO). This year will be the 10th year anniversary of the tragic Haiti Earthquake.

This year will be the 250th year anniversary of the Boston Massacre that took place on March 5, 1770. This was when many colonists opposed the British Parliament imposing taxes on them to pay for the Seven Year War (1753-1763). Many colonists refused to pay taxes, because they said that they had no representation in the British Parliament. Boston was one of the earliest pro-independence locations in America back then. Colonists and British soldiers clashed. British soldiers shot into the crowd causing many colonists to die. One of the persons who died was Crispus Attucks, who was an African American. The Attucks Theater in Norfolk, Virginia is named after him. Many soldiers were acquitted and some were found guilty for reduced charges. John Adams said that this Boston Massacre was one foundation of the American independence movement. As we know now, the American Revolution was complex, and many Founders owned slaves while hypocritically criticizing the nefarious British Empire (which is complicit in imperialism, slavery, colonialism, and the theft of resources on many continents).

This year is the 50th year anniversary of the invasion of Cambodia by the U.S. on April 30, 1970 by Nixon. This caused protests nationwide (because Nixon expanded the Vietnam War and his actions in Cambodia were overtly illegal) and resulted in the tragic killings of students at Kent State University in Ohio and Jackson State College in Mississippi. Also, this year will be the 10th anniversary of the I-Pad which was released on April 3.We still use the I-Pad to this very day. The I-Pad is a magnificent device. 2020 will be a year of new developments, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo, changes, and growth. Hopefully, by the end of 2020, we shall see a new leader elected as President. I will vote. In the meantime, we love democratic freedom, justice, and pan-African unity.


By Timothy