In 2008, R&B music saw new artists establishing themselves as musicians to be taken seriously. It was the time when Barack Obama won the election to make him the first elected African American President in American history. By early 2008, Alicia Keys' song of Like You'll Never See Me Again was very popular. Keyshia Cole's I Remember was one of her greatest songs. It was very popular in 2008. It came from her 2007 2nd album of Just Like You. With the ballads on that album, some called her the Princess of hip hop soul. She consulted a variety of producers and songwriters to work with her on the album, including Missy Elliott, Bryan-Michael Cox, Scott Storch, Rodney Jerkins, The Runners, J. Wells, Pete Rock, and Soulshock. Guest vocalists include Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim, Too $hort, Amina Harris, Anthony Hamilton, Young Dro, T.I., Chink Santana, and Piper. R&B saw more hip hop collaborations with Usher ft. Young Jeezy in Love in This Club and Lil Wayne ft. Static Major with Lollipop. Heaven Sent was a song from Keyshia Cole was very popular in 2008. Rihanna's Take a Bow dealt with breakup. Jazmine Sullivan made her debut album in 2008. Her famous song of Need U Bad was very vocally powerful. Jazmine Sullivan is a young singer with an old school soul. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 9, 1987. Jazmine Sullivan can sing for real. She is that talented. Her debut album was called Fearless being released 2008. The producers on the album are Missy Elliott, Stargate, Carvin & Ivan, Wyclef Jean, Jack Splash and Salaam Remi. The album earned Sullivan seven Grammy Award nominations and has sold 517,000 copies in the United States and since been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for exceeded sales of 500,000. Jennifer Hudson is another singer with an outstanding voice, and she released the song of Spotlight in 2008. Ne-Yo had the song of Miss Independent praising hard working women. Ne-Yo is underrated as a singer and songwriter. He is probably one of the greatest songwriters of the 21st century, and I'm not being facetious. He has written songs for legends from as diverse as Celine Dion, Beyonce, Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke, Whitney Houston, Anastacia, Ciara, Corbin Bleu, Enrique Iglesias, Dima Bilan, and to other musicians. He was born in Camden, Arknasas and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. He won many awards too. His third studio album, Year of the Gentleman (2008), saw continued success and further Grammy Award nominations for Best Contemporary R&B Album as well as Album of the Year. Its singles "Closer" and "Miss Independent" were also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, and Best R&B Song. Year of the Gentleman has been certified platinum twice in the US, selling two million copies, also platinum three times in the UK and once in Japan. Ne-Yo has a tenor voice. His influences are Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Babyface, Blackstreet, and Usher. The end of 2008 saw Beyonce's song of Single Ladies (Put a Ring Ont It) being shown as another women's anthem of empowerment. In 2008, Mary J. Blige released Growing Pains, Raheem DeVaughn released Love Behind the Melody, Alicia Keys had As I Am, Day 26 had music, Ray J had All I Feel, Mariah released E=MC2, Lyfe Jennings released Lyfe Change, Keith Sweat had Just Me, Usher had Here I Stand, Lloyd had Lessons in Love, and John Legend had Evolver. Musiq Soulchild released Onmyradio too. On November 12, 2008, Beyonce released her 3rd studio album of I Am...Sasha Fierce. Sasha Fierce is her alter ego. It was a double album. The album had electropop and Europop elements. Jay Z and Etta James inspired her on songwriting and artistry. Beyonce worked with people like Babyface, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream and Ryan Tedder. Sasha Fierce boasted production from Darkchild and Sean Garrett. The album had songs like If I Were a Boy, Ego, Diva, Sweet Dreams, and Halo. She worked with Lady Gaga with Video Phone. It's an album that garnered seven Grammy Award nominations at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony (2010), including a nomination for Album of the Year, winning five and eventually collecting a record setting six wins—the most awards won in one night by a woman artist. I Am... Sasha Fierce won a Soul Train Music Award for Best Album of the Year at the 2009 Soul Train Music Awards. Beyoncé won the American Music Award for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the American Music Awards of 2009, while I Am... Sasha Fierce garnered a nomination for Favorite Soul/R&B Album. Beyoncé also won a BET Award for Best R&B Artist at the BET Awards 2009. By the end of 2008, Beyonce just went into another level. When Prince, Patti Labelle, Alicia Keys, Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, Mary J. Blige, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Donna Summer, and other legends praise Beyonce as a great singer and performing, it shows that Beyonce is one of the greats of the 21st century without question. In 2008, songs and music like Just Fine from Mary J. Blige, J. Holliday songs, Can't Help But Wait from Trey Songz, Never from Jaheim, Take You down from Chris Brown, Crying Out for Me from Mario, Touch my Body from Mariah Carey, The Dream's music, Woman from Raheem DeVaughn, Magic from Robin Thicke, Get Like Me from David Banner ft. Chris Brown, Shoulda Let You Go from Keyshia Cole ft. Amina, No Air of Jordin Sparks ft. Chris Brown, Usher's Love in this Club Part II ft. Beyonce and Lil Wayne, Erkyah Badu's Honey, etc. Jordin Sparks is a singer from Arizona. She is a person with a naturally nice personality, and she was in the film of Sparkle back in 2012 later on. Janet Jackson's Discipline album was released on February 22, 2008. She worked with old school and new school producers like Darkchild, Ne-Yo, Shea Taylor, Stargate, Johntá Austin, Jermaine Dupri, Tricky Stewart, and The-Dream. The album experimented with the electropop, house, and dance-pop genres and also contained R&B and hip hop-oriented tracks. one of her greatest songs on the album was Feedback. Her dance choreography on Feedback was amazing. Rock With U, Luv, Greatest X (which is one of her greatest songs on the album vocally), and Can't B Good were other songs on the album.
In 2009, R&B music saw the growth of a new generation of musicians. The start of 2009 had Beyonce's single Single Lades being top on the charts. Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain had the song Blame It. Jeremih released the song of Birthday Sex. Keri Hilson had the song Knock You Down in 2008 with Kanye West and Ne-Yo. Keri Hilson is an artist who is underrated too. Keri Hilson is also a great songwriter for many famous musicians too. She is from Georgia. She worked with Timbaland and other legends. Maxwell's Pretty Wings was one of the greatest songs of his career. Jay Z worked with Alicia Keys with the NYC anthem of Empire State of Mind. Usher had the song Papers detailing the issue of breakup and divorce. Trey Songz ft. Drake had the bold song of "I Invented Sex." In 2009, the Notorious film soundtrack had hip hop and R&B music. Albums with popularity in 2009 and coming out in late 2008 were A Different Me from Keyshia Cole and Intuition from Jamie Foxx. Bobby V had the album of The Rebirth in 2009. Charlie Wilson made the comeback album of Uncle Charlie too. The Dream had Love vs. Money. Keri Hilson released her album of In a Perfect World on March 24, 2009. The album earned Hilson Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration during the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards ceremony on January 31, 2010. Keri Hilson is a woman who loves the art of music. Songs like Return the Favor ft. Timbaland, Slow Dance, Energy, Alienated, etc. showed the diverse emotions and experiences of women in general. Prince and Bria Valente had the album of LOtUSFLOW3R / MPLSound / Elix3r. Day 26 released Forever in a Day. Chrisette Michele had the album of Epiphany in 2009 too. This was her 2nd album. Chrisette Michele is one of the new school, very talented vocalists. She was born in New York state. Ne-Yo co-wrote and co-produced many of its songs. Chrisette Michele is an outstanding vocalist, and some compared her voice to Ella Fitzgerald. Songs like Epiphany, Notebook, Blame It On Me, etc. are part of her album. Jeremih released his album of Jeremiah. Maxwell made a huge comeback album with BLACKsummers'night on July 7, 2009. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 316,000 copies in its first week. It became Maxwell's fourth consecutive US Platinum album and produced four singles that achieved Billboard chart success. He won 2 Grammys with the album. Ledisi released the album Turn Me Loose in 2009. This was her fourth album. Ledisi does jazz too and is one of the most underrated great singers of our time. Letoya released Lady Love in 2009. Whitney Houston's album of I Look to You was certainly a classic. She made records like Nothin' But Love and Million Dollar Baby. On July 21, 2009, Houston hosted a listening party with Davis in New York City. Amongst those in attendance were Alicia Keys, Diane Sawyer, Martha Stewart and Vivica A. Fox. The album preview triggered a standing ovation, and the song Million Dollar Bill was among those that received critical acclaim. I Look to You was one of her greatest last songs of her life. Michael Jackson passed away in 2009, and her album of This is It was certainly a memorial to his contributions to music. Michael Jackson broke down barriers and contributed so much in the development of modern day music in enumerable ways. That is why he is the greatest entertainer of our generation. Chris Brown released Graffiti. R. Kelly had Untitled. Rihanna had the album of Rated R. This album was about Rihanna saying this is who I am, take it or leave it. It was released on November 20, 2009. It had a different direction using rock, dubstep, dancehall, and other elements. Will.I.Am worked with her. Songs like Rude boy, Rockstar 101, Wait Your Turn, Hard, etc. had a more adult edge to it. Rated R was the album from Rihanna that influenced her future releases to this day. Many of the songs are about love and overcoming adversity. The album was about promoting her independence from a situation (we know what that situation) and living her life in full freedom. Her future albums of Loud (2010) and Anti (2016. Some say that Anti is her best album) existed from the root of Rated R. As we shall see in the future, Rihanna's Anti album would evolve R&B music into another level of creative power. Another new artist of the new generation is Melanie Fiona Hallim. Her parents are of Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, and Portuguese descent. Her debut album was The Bridge. For years, I always love her voice, her talent, and her lyrical skills. Fiona was born in Canada. She was part of a singing group before establishing her own solo album. collaborated with Future Cut, Vada Nobles, Stereotypes, J. Phoenix and Peter Wade Keusch. Her debut single, "Give It to Me Right", was sent to radio stations on February 28, 2009, and peaked at number 20 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart and number 41 on the UK Singles Chart. The second single, "It Kills Me", became her breakout song on the Billboard Hot 100 where it entered the Top 50, along with topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. The song earned Hallim a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song "Monday Morning" is her biggest hit in Europe to date. The Bridge also earned her a NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist. In 2012, Hallim won two Grammy Awards for Best Traditional R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for the song "Fool for You" with CeeLo Green. Melania Fiona Hallim has a great voice. What a great way to end 2009 with acknowledging the superb talent of an excellent musician like Melanie Fiona Hallim.
Hip hop in 2014 was in a state of total change. In the start of 2014, Outkast announced a reunion tour in many places. On January 26, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won four Grammy Awards at 56th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist and Best Rap Album for The Heist. Jay-Z won two Grammys for his two collaborations with Justin Timberlake "Holy Grail" and "Suit & Tie." On January 28, J. Cole announced that his record label Dreamville Records had signed a distribution deal with Interscope Records. Later that day, Jay-Z gave him his original Roc-A-Fella Records chain. On February 1, five rappers French Montana, Jadakiss, Chinx Drugz, Smoke DZA and Buckshot were all arrested on warrants, while leaving B.B. King Blues Club in New York City, where they were attending Funkmaster Flex's Tunnel Party. They would all be released by the next day. On February 10, it was revealed that Dr. Dre was suing his former record label Death Row Records for 3 million dollars, due to unpaid royalties. On February 20, it was revealed that 50 Cent had officially left Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records, also announcing that he was now signed to Caroline Records, an independent sister-label of Capitol Records. Lil Boosie was out of prison by March 5, 2014. On March 11, it was revealed that Diddy had bid 200 million dollars on the Madison Square Garden Company-owned Fuse television channel. However, he would be outbid by Jennifer Lopez's NuvoTV. Freddie Gibbs publicly shown his rivalry against Young Jeezy via music. On March 23, Jay-Z addressed Drake's recent comments in a Rolling Stone interview regarding Jay-Z's references to art, during Jay Electronica's remix to Soulja Boy's "We Made It". In the song Jay-Z disagrees with Drake. The Migos were involved in a Florida shootout that left one of their members in the hospital on March 28, 2014. Benzino was shot by his own cousin during his mother's funeral procession on March 29, 2014. On April 3, 2014, Tray Dee of the Eastsidaz was released from prison. On April 9, Chief Keef's cousin and Glory Boyz Entertainment signed Blood Money was shot and killed in Chicago. Blood Money had been signed to Interscope Records just two weeks prior to his death. On April 18, the NYPD thwarted an alleged multi-million-dollar extortion plot by producer Chauncey Mahan against Jay-Z. Mahan who worked with Jay Z from 1998 and 2002, was in possession of a number of Jay-Z master recordings that Jay-Z and his associates assumed were lost. They were estimated to be between $15 million and $20 million.
On April 27, DJ E-Z Rock of duo Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock died from unknown cases. The duo was best known for the single "It Takes Two" and its respective album. On May 5, XXL revealed their annual freshman class to include Chance the Rapper, Isaiah Rashad, Ty Dolla $ign, Rich Homie Quan, Vic Mensa, August Alsina, Troy Ave, Kevin Gates, Lil Bibby, Jon Connor, Lil Durk and Jarren Benton. The list had previously been rappers only, but this opened it to two R&B artists, namely August Alsina and Ty$. During May of 2014, there was the rivalry among Tyga and Game vs. Lil Durk and 40 Glocc. Later, resolutions was made except with 40 Glocc. On May 18, at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, Eminem won the awards for Top Rap Artist and the Top Rap Album for his eighth studio album The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis won Top Rap Song for "Can't Hold Us". Drake, Jay-Z, J. Cole and Pitbull were also nominated in various categories. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine sells Beats to Apple Inc. On May 31, OTF NuNu, a member of Lil Durk's OTF crew, was shot and killed in Chicago. He was sitting in a parked SUV at the Chatham Village Square Mall on the city's South Side when the shooter walked up to the vehicle and fired several rounds at NuNu. He was struck multiple times and tried to escape the scene in the SUV before crashing into a nearby store. On June 1, 2014, Gunit reunites among 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Young Buck, and Tony Yayo. At the 2014, BET Awards, big winners are Nicki Minaj, Young Money, etc. Remy Ma was released from prison on August 1, 2014 after more than 6 years in prison. On August 24, Suge Knight and two others were shot multiple times during a Chris Brown-hosted event at a West Hollywood nightclub. Knight was taken to an area hospital.Juvenile was part in Cash Money Records. At the end of 2014, Bobby Shmurda was arrested and charged with shootings and drug trafficking in NYC. New artists like Sarkodie and Kid Ink made albums. Willie the Kid and Bronze Nazareth released The Living Daylights. Kid Cudi and Schoolboy Q had albums too. Young Money was at their primes. Onyx had their comeback album too. New artists like Farid Bang, Ana Tijoux, Cyne, Sage the Gemini, Lil Debbie, and other people released music. Sole and DJ Pain 1 had the album of Warfare. N.O.R.E. released Noreaster. Daz, Future, Zion I, Tech N9ne, Styles P, The Roots, 50 Cent (with Animal Ambition), Canbius, G-Eazy, Ab-Soul, Twista, Lecrae, and many artists have shown their music. Rapsody (Marianna Eans) form North Carolina released the album of Beauty and the Beast in 2014 too. She is known for being lyrical, having messages, and being serious on the art of rap. 2014 had diversity from Vince Staples, DJ Quik, Childish Cambino, Logic, T.I., Teyana Taylor, Joe Budden, Azealia Banks, Too Short, Wu Tang Clan, Crooked I, Ludacris, etc. Music in that year had songs like Nicki Minaj's Anaconda, Thank You (done by Busta Rhymes with Q-Tip, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West), and Kendrick Lamar with I. In the year, there the domination of that drill sound and trap music in mainstream music. Drill music readily talks about violence, murder, and even glamorizing death in a vicious fashion. Trap music readily talk about drug addiction, selling drugs, and even pimping women. Both of those forms of music are filled with wickedness, and let's keep it real. The lyrics from artists showing drill and trap like Stebo, Blacc Zacc, Rico Recklezz, Montana of 300, Skippa Tha Flippa, Hote Headdz, etc. show music worst messages than some old school gangsta rap (overtly glamorizing murder, violence, selling poison, materialism, etc.). Bad messages are bad for the youth. Also, I don't just blame the artists, who promote evils like murder, alone. It's bigger than that. Corporations pay money for that type of music to exist. Many corporate interests and racist institutions permit poverty, racism, economic deprivation, lax education, and other problems that has ruined many poor communities for generations. That is why the solution isn't just about critiquing certain music. It is about transforming societies and establishing justice, so people in suffering communities don't face oppression. That's real talk. A lot of people of afraid of pointing this out, but we fear nothing but God. Underground music still was powerful.
In 2015, we see new developments. On January 18, ASAP Mob's founder ASAP Yams, was found dead at the age of 26. On January 28, Lil Wayne filed a $51 million lawsuit against Birdman and Cash Money Records over the delay of Tha Carter V. On January 30, Suge Knight was arrested for murder after a fatal hit and run in Compton, California. On March 27, Lil Durk's manager, OTF Chino, was shot and killed in Chicago, Illinois. Vic Mensa was signed to Roc Nation. The rapper Chinx died in 2014. Chicago drill rapper Young Papy died too. On June 22, Puff Daddy was arrested for assaulting a football coach at University of California, Los Angeles. On July 13, 50 Cent filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, subsequently following a $5 million lawsuit in which he was ordered to pay Lastonia Leviston, Rick Ross' baby mother, after leaking a sex tape in which she was featured. On August 1, Action Bronson cancelled his Osheaga Festival performance in Montreal following the circulation of a petition against his misogynistic and violent lyrics. He was subsequently replaced by Mos Def. In 2015, DMX had the album of Redemption of the Beast. Lupe Fiasco had Tetsuo and Youth, which is one of his greatest albums lyrically. Sadat X had the album of Never Left. Kind Ink, Slim Thug, Big Sean, Lord Finese, Marc 7 (of Jurassic 5), and Lil Flip released music. Kendrick Lamar had the album of To Pimp a Butterfly on March 15, 2015. This album was his 3rd studio album and made him further one of the greatest hip hop artists of this generation. It had tons of producers, and it featured George Clinton, Blial, Anna Wise, Snoop, Ronald Isley, Rapsody, and James Fauntleroy. Kendrick used jazz, soul, spoken word,s and other genres in it. His album talked about real issues like love, depression, racial oppression, police brutality, and Black African culture. Kendrick Lamar was inspired by visiting South Africa to make this work. To Pimp a Butterfly sold 324,000 copies in the US in its first week of release, earning a chart debut at number one on the US Billboard 200, while also becoming Lamar's first number-one album in the UK. It was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold one million copies in the US by 2017. Five singles were released in promotion of the album, including the top 40 hit "I". Lamar also supported the album with the Kunta's Groove Sessions Tour from late 2015 to early 2016. Kendrick Lamar's song Alright was an anthem of the BLM movement and black protesting in general. Songs like These Walls, King Kunta, The Blacker the Berry, etc. focused on his views. The album received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its musical scope and the social relevance of Lamar's lyrics. It earned Lamar seven nominations at the 2016 Grammy Awards, including a win for Best Rap Album and an Album of the Year. Kendrick Lamar said real messages. David Bowe and Prince were fans of the album too. Kendrick Lamar inspired future young artists to talk about fun subjects too along with the social commentaries in a world filled with fights against oppression. Earl Sweatshirt, Action Bronson, Wale, Currensy, Cashis, Flo Rida, Bones, Murs, A$AP Rocky, Boosie, and Large Professor released music. The album of Every Hero Needs a Villain from Czarface is one of the most lyrical albums of the 2010's, and it has creativity. Inspteach Deck, 7L, and Esoteric were part of the album. It is the 2nd album of Czarface. The album features guest appearances from Method Man, Large Professor, JuJu, GZA, MF Doom, Meyhem Lauren and R.A. the Rugged Man. Meek Mill, Pete Rock, King Los, and other people released music. Legendary artists like Scarface, Styles P, Method Man, Warren G, Erick Sermon, Redman, Krayzie Bone, Tech N9ne, and other artists had music. By the end of 2015, artists with popularity was Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Big Sean, Future, ASAP Rocky, Logic, Meek Mill, G-Eazy, Pusha T, Young Thug, Vince Staples, Shamir, and other people.
How did Reagan change to be a far right Republican extremist? First, we have to look at the times. Reagan was first a FDR Democrat as he praised Franklin Delano Roosevelt as a true hero. He joined left wing groups like the American Veterans Committee. Reagan once fought Republican sponsored right to work legislation and supported Helen Gahagan Douglas in 1950. She was defeated for the Senate by Richard Nixon. He once spoke out against nuclear weapons. He was stopped form leading an anti-nuclear rally in Hollywood by the Warner Brothers Brothers. Later, he disagreed with mutual assured destructed. He supported Harry S. Truman in 1948. He campaigned with Truman in public in Los Angeles, which is wild to imagine. Ronald Reagan voted for FDR. By the 1950's, he moved into the right wing. Reagan supported Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956. He supported Nixon back in 1960. Nancy Reagan inspired him to be more conservative as she was a lifelong conservative Republican. Reagan gave pro-GE speeches in a conservative, pro-business mindset. He became a Republican in 1962. That is why he was a public supporter of Barry Goldwater's 1964 Presidential campaign. Ronald Reagan was radically anticommunist, wanted lower taxes, and loved limited government. When Medicare legislation was proposed in 1961 (Medicare is universal health care for elderly people), Ronald Reagan publicly opposed it in a speech for the American Medical Association (AMA). Reagan said that the legislation would be the end of freedom in America which wasn't the case. President John F. Kennedy gave an eloquent speech in support of universal healthcare for the elderly which would be Medicare at New York City's Madison Square Garden. JFK's speech proved that he was no conservative. President F. Kennedy was a liberal as he stated that he was a liberal in 1960 at the Liberal Party meeting. Other Democratic initiatives Reagan opposed in the 1960's included the Food Stamp Program, raising the minimum wage, and the establishment of the Peace Corps. Reagan also joined the National Rifle Association (NRA) and would become a lifetime member. Reagan believed in limited government in his A Time for Choosing speech. That speech brought Ronald Reagan higher into the national political stage. Goldwater lost the 1964 election, and I'm thankful that he lost.
Later, Ronald Reagan desired to run for Governor in California. Many California Republicans were impressed with Reagan's political views after his Time for Choosing speech. He started his campaign in late 1965. The 1966 election came about. He defeated former San Francisco mayor George Christopher (who was a moderate Republican mayor of San Francisco back then) in the Republican primary. In Reagan's campaign, he emphasized two main themes: "to send the welfare bums back to work", and, in reference to burgeoning anti-war and anti-establishment student protests at the University of California, Berkeley, "to clean up the mess at Berkeley." This type of ignorant, illogical rhetoric from Ronald Reagan is typical of his classist, extremist mentality. In 1966, Reagan accomplished what both U.S. senator William Knowland in 1958 and former vice president Richard Nixon in 1962 failed to do: he was elected Governor of California, defeating Pat Brown, the Democratic two-term governor. Pat Brown was a well known progressive man who invested heavily in building up California's infrastructure in a massive way. Reagan was sworn in as Governor of California on January 2, 1967. In his first term, he froze government hiring and approved tax hikes to balance the budget. Reagan even ran for President in 1968. He was part of the Stop Nixon movement. Reagan was conservative, Nixon was center right, Nelson Rockefeller was liberal, and George Wallace was a reactionary (like Trump). However, by the time of the convention, Nixon had 692 delegate votes, 25 more than he needed to secure the nomination, followed by Rockefeller with Reagan in third place. As Governor of California, Ronald Reagan was hostile to the progressive movements of the 1960's. He opposed the Civil Rights Act. Reagan supported Proposition 14, which violated the housing rights of black people and other people of color.
Reagan was opposed to student demonstrations at the Berkeley campus. On May 15, 1969, during the People's Park protests at the university's campus (the original purpose of which was to discuss the Arab–Israeli conflict), Reagan sent the California Highway Patrol and other officers to quell the protests. This led to an incident that became known as "Bloody Thursday", resulting in the death of student James Rector and the blinding of carpenter Alan Blanchard.In addition, 111 police officers were injured in the conflict, including one who was knifed in the chest. Reagan then called out 2,200 state National Guard troops to occupy the city of Berkeley for two weeks to crack down on the protesters. The Guard remained in Berkeley for 17 days, camping in People's Park, and demonstrations subsided as the university removed cordoned-off fencing and placed all development plans for People's Park on hold. One year after the incident, Reagan responded to questions about campus protest movements saying, "If it takes a bloodbath, let's get it over with. No more appeasement." When the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst in Berkeley and demanded the distribution of food to the poor, Reagan joked to a group of political aides about a botulism outbreak contaminating the food. Reagan was a piece of work. Folks wonder why tons of black people have no respect for Reagan. By 1967, the abortion issue was on the national stage in a higher level. In the early stages of the debate, Democratic California state senator Anthony Beilenson introduced the Therapeutic Abortion Act in an effort to reduce the number of "back-room abortions" performed in California. The state legislature sent the bill to Reagan's desk where, after many days of indecision, he reluctantly signed it on June 14, 1967. About two million abortions would be performed as a result, mostly because of a provision in the bill allowing abortions for the well-being of the mother. Reagan had been in office for only four months when he signed the bill and later stated that had he been more experienced as governor, he would not have signed it. After he recognized what he called the "consequences" of the bill, he announced that he was anti-abortion. He maintained that position later in his political career, writing extensively about abortion.
Ronald Reagan had issues with the heroic Black Panthers. The Black Panthers carried guns to protect the black community in Oakland, Oakland. Doing that was legal until Reagan signed the Mulford Act in 1967. That law repealed a law allowing the public carrying of loaded firearms (becoming California Penal Code 12031 and 171(c)). The bill, which was named after Republican assemblyman Don Mulford, garnered national attention after the Black Panthers marched bearing arms upon the California State Capitol to protest the Mulford bill. Reagan was not recalled in 1968 after the effort came about to do it. Reagan also criticized the 1965 Voting Rights Act too. He was re-elected in 1970 as Governor defeating Jesse M. Unruh. He chose not to seek a third term in the following election cycle. One of Reagan's greatest frustrations in office was the controversy of capital punishment, which he strongly supported. His efforts to enforce the state's laws in this area were thwarted when the Supreme Court of California issued its People v. Anderson decision, which invalidated all death sentences issued in California before 1972, though the decision was later overturned by a constitutional amendment. The only execution during Reagan's governorship was on April 12, 1967, when Aaron Mitchell's sentence was carried out by the state in San Quentin's gas chamber. In 1969, Reagan signed the Family Law Act, which was an amalgam of two bills that had been written and revised by the California State Legislature over more than two years. It became the first no-fault divorce legislation in the United States. Years later, he told his son Michael that signing that law was his "greatest regret" in public life. Reagan's terms as governor helped to shape the policies he would pursue in his later political career as president. Ronald Reagan didn't want Angela Davis to teach in an university, because she is a Communist. Davis was allowed to teach, because there should be no ideological test in terms of teaching human beings in America. Reagan called Africans a racist slur to Nixon in 1971. People released the tape of it recently. So, Ronald Reagan was indeed a serious, slick racist.
There is a long history of the Civil Rights Movement in Oakland and in the Bay Area in general. After World War II, the Great Migration caused a lot of Black Americans to go into the Bay Area from the South. Activists wanted an end to oppression in general. In the West Coast, people fought for equality, fairness in education, housing rights, and employment opportunities. Many people in California supported the Civil Rights Movement of the South too. This movement included people of all colors and backgrounds. In Oakland, demonstrations, sit-ins, marches, pickets, and parades were commonplace back then. The evil 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese people from immigrating to America based upon race. The law was only repealed decades after it was passed. By the 1940's and the 1950's, the federal housing redlining policies banned communities of color from developing their own wealth. Neighborhoods suffered. There was the white flight to the suburbs. Many Oakland homes and businesses were destroyed to build the Nimitz Freeway and the Cypress Viaduct. Urban renewal was at West Oakland by the 1960's. Many black and Latino families were displaced from West Oakland during htis time. The BART and the Main Post Office at 1675 7th Street was built. Many black Americans moved into East Oakland and at Elmhurst district. Latinos moved into the Fruitvale neighborhood. People of Oakland fought back. After the Woolworth sit-in in Greensboro, North Carolina, many people in the Bay Area boycotted Woolworths. Terry Francois, the President of the San Francisco branch of the NAACP and the college student Thomas Gaither supported equality. 2,500 people marched along Post Street San Francisco to protest the tragedy of 4 little young African American girls being murdered by a bomb at the 16th Street Baptist Church at Birmingham, Labama (in 1963). The protest had Rabbi Alvin Fine, Chairman William Chester of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), U.S. attorney Cecil Poole, and Leonard Farmer speak their minds. 40,000 people marched along Market Street to protest the nomination of Senator Barry Goldwater as the Republican Presidential nominee because of his views of civil rights (Goldwater opposed the 1964 Civil Rights Act, because he didn't want the federal government to eliminate Jim Crow apartheid. He only wanted states separately to eliminate racial discrimination). The U.C. Berkeley Chapter of Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) used sit-ins and protests too. Many in the Bay Area fought for Fair Housing rights too. In May of 1964, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. visited the Bay Area to have a rally to fight for the civil rights bill in America. By 1967, the California Supreme Court eliminating a housing law that discriminated against black people. By the 1960's, community groups like Oakland Community Organizations, Unity Council, Intertrible Friendship House, the Black Panthers and other groups fought for racial justice, equal access to jobs, housing transporation, health care, etc. By the 1980's and 1990's, community group fought institutionalized racism. There was the PolicyLink, the Green Lining Institute, and the Center for Racial Justice Innovation. During the 21st century, civil rights groups flourish in Oakland. Oakland had a long history of protest. There was a black mutiny after an explosion killed over 200 African American sailors during World War II. Biranna Noble rode her horse to protest the police killing of George FLoyd. Oakland was always a place where protsts involving military desegregation, civil rights, economic justice, etc. existed. The Port Chicago Mutiny of 1944 was over the explosion at the Port Chicago at July 17, 1944. A tons of munitions blew up.Racists didn't even want just compensation to the families of the black sailors. Many of the 50 black seamen who mutinied were sentenced to prison. They were only exonerated in 2019. There was the Oakland General strike in 1946. It opposed discrimination. By 1960, 83,000 African Americans were in Oakland out of 368,000 people. The protest wanted fair hiring practices without racism. There was the civil rights protest at the Oakland Tribune in 1964. The Black Panthers was a group who wanted proletariat revolution. They were socialists who desired the black people to be protected from police brutality. They used programs of helping children, adults, etc. in order to be the catalyst to eliminate global imperialism. They opposed the Vietnam War. The Black Panthers had a breakfast program to feed children, medical clinics, transportation services, and a nationwide newspaper sending out important messages of the day to the people. They studied revolutionary scholars. The Black Panthers used a grassroots movement in desiring change. They were in the California legislature at Sacramento, California to protest the Mulford bill as the Black Panthers openly carried rifles (which was legal at the time). This happened on May 2, 1967 after the Richmond police killed unarmed black man Denzil Dowell. The protest at Sacramento represented the Black Panthers' activism. Many stories of the Black Panthers have shown their heroism, courage, and a sense of love for the black community. From Fred Hampton to Terika Lewis, the Panthers constituted tons of intellectual power including social consciousness. They were the progressive side of the overall black freedom struggle. In 2009, tons of people protested the unjust killing of Oscar Grant. The cop, who killed him, received a slap on the risk. Oscar Grant was a working class, young black man who just wanted to provide for his family. The 1980's saw high unemployment and crime in Oakland. Oscar Grant was only 22 years old when he passed on New Year's Day 2009. The killer is Johannes Mehserle. Oscar Grant was shot at Fruitvale Station. Oakland had the Occupy movement to promote economic justice in the midst of Wall Street financial issues. The Oakland rebellion took place in 2014 over the death of Michael Brown. Oakland protests continued in 2020 after the passing of George Floyd and Breonna Tyalor. There were legitimate protests and vandalism. Many of the old school activist who fought for justice and back then are Walter Riley (an Oakland attorney), Ned Saturu (a former Black Panther Party people, activist, and entrepreneur), Steve McCutchen (who is an activist and a former member of the Black Panther Party), Dr. Ayodele Nzinga (who is a theater director, author, and founder of the Black Arts Movement Business District), Cat Brooks (a fighter against police terror), and other unsung heroes.The struggle for justice continues.
By Timothy
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