by Dr. Samori Swygert
At the close of each year, news networks typically include a segment on the top stories of the year. Many times, the stories are quite fluffy and tend to exclude some of the most fascinating events. But I’ve got you covered! Below are 101 significant events in the news that you may remember, had forgotten, or missed. Flashback over these as we embark on a New Year.
May you be blessed, safe, and successful in 2015.
Sincerely,
Dr. Samori Swygert
Death of DC Mayor Marion Barry
Malaysian Flight MH370 went missing
Michael Brown is shot and killed by Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson
Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson is not indicted for the death of Michael Brown
Eric Garner is placed in a choke hold and dies by Staten Island Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo
Daniel Pantaleo is not indicted for the death of Eric Garner
John Crawford is shot and killed in Walmart by police for walking around with the store’s toy gun
August 11th, Ezell Ford is shot and killed by a Los Angeles police officer
12-year-old Tamir Rice is shot and killed by Cleveland police officer while brandishing a BB gun in public
Dontre Hamilton is shot 14 times and killed after being harassed by Milwaukee cop
Hacking of Sony
Solange fights Jay-Z in an elevator
Protests against police brutality and racial injustices spread across the nation
MiMi Rods break Home Depot sales records
Home Depot has record data breach of millions of customers financial info
Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is moved to another institution to serve his term
Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is sentenced to 10 years for corruption
Jackson, Mississippi Mayor Chokwe Lumumba dies
Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia is indicted on 11 counts of corruption
Charlotte, North Carolina Mayor Patrick Cannon is indicted on charges of corruption
CIA torture documents are published to the public
Hundreds of Nigerian girls turn up missing
Ray Rice domestic abuse against Janay Rice takes NFL by storm
Bill Cosby is accused of drugging and raping several women
Ebola Virus finally gains America’s attention
Boko Haram and ISIS take over mainstream media coverage
Famous Boxer Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter dies
Famous Poet Amiri Baraka dies
Famous Poet Maya Angelou dies
Famous Actress Ruby Dee dies
Famous Soul Singer Bobby Womack dies
Famous Jazz composer Horace Silver dies
Famous DC radio show host “MoBetta Man” dies
Actor Robin Williams commits suicide
Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman dies from heroin overdose
Al Sharpton is publicly outed as a federal informant
Detroit cuts off water supply to its citizens
‘Throw Dat Boy P#ssy’ video challenges the music industry norm
Michael Dunn found guilty of attempted murder in Jordan Davis trial
Cliven Bundy defies federal government on Nevada Ranch and is backed by armed militia
$1.1 Trillion dollar spending bill introduced and Wall Street gains more financial privilege in banking
Republican Florida Congressman Trey Radel resigns after being busted with cocaine
U.S. Government 1033 program that allows militarization of police departments is brought to light
Donald Sterling is banned for life from the NBA after racial rant surfaces
Radio Show Host Warren Ballentine is convicted of mortgage fraud
Republicans gain control of both the House and Senate in the November midterm elections
Marijuana becomes officially legalized in Colorado
President Obama takes action to normalize relations with Cuba after decades of conflict
Keystone XL Pipeline is voted down
2 NYPD officers are killed in Brooklyn
Multiple fence jumpings at the White House
3 Secret Service Men are sent home for drinking while on security detail in Amsterdam for Pres. Obama
Security contractor rides the same elevator with Pres. Obama while armed
Virgin Galactic Spaceship crashes in California
NASA supply Spaceship explodes in mid-air on the Eastern Shore of Virginia
A 2nd Asian plane goes missing
NBA players wear “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirts as a sign of protests
Minnesota Vikings Adrian Peterson is hit with child abuse charges
HBCUs go thru brutal financial battles, from bad media press to closings and accreditation
Athletes Michael Sam and Jason Collins become media sensations after coming out as homosexuals
Gay marriage is legalized in several states across America
Marissa Alexander accepts plea deal and avoids 60 years in prison
Germany’s Angela Merkel slams the U.S. over NSA spying, along with other European nations
Texas judge rules that teenager killer Ethan Couch will avoid jail time due to affluenza
Record number of bankers commit suicide
Supreme Court rules that police need warrants to search cellphones
Lethal injection executions failures (Joseph Rudolph Wood, Dennis McGuire, Clayton Lockett)
Supreme Court upholds Michigan voter initiative that bans taking into account race in admissions in public universities
Celebrity I-cloud accounts get hacked and reveal nude photos
COGIC parishioner who declares he’s “not gay no more” and “will love a womens” sets off internet firestorm
Gas prices hit record lows since Hurricane Katrina
Boondocks TV show returns to cable for another season, but without creator Aaron McGruder
Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey call it quits
Robert Richards IV, heir to the wealthy Du Pont family, avoids imprisonment for raping his toddler daughter in 2009
Home Depot comes under fire for racially insensitive photo tweet of ape costume and black employees
Raven Simone makes controversial statements about race and labels in Oprah Winfrey interview
Mother Ebony Wilkerson drives minivan filled with her 3 children into the ocean
President Obama orders airstrikes on ISIL targets in Syria
Dante Martin is found guilty of manslaughter and felony hazing in the death of FAMU band member, Robert Champion Jr in 2011
Elizabeth Warren slams congress and the political system for allowing banking lobbyists to ghostwrite legislation
Dr. Dre sells Beats by Dre headphone line to Apple Inc.
President Obama announces My Brother’s Keeper initiative
John Boehner files lawsuit over Obamacare
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s staff comes under fire for racially incendiary emails on race and sexual preference
Bowie State University student sues Alpha Phi Alpha for $3 million in hazing
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie demands the return of Assata Shakur from Cuba
Key grand jury witness #40 flat out lied about accounts of the Michael Brown case
Paula Deen apologizes again and again to America for saying the n-word
California NAACP leader steps down after being outed for image restoration of Donald Sterling for financial incentives
Black doctor Teleka Patrick went missing for weeks on end and is found dead in Indiana’s Lake Charles
Real Housewives of Atlanta Star Apollo Nida goes to prison for bank fraud
Owners of Boston compounding pharmacy responsible for 64 deaths due to fungal contamination; charged with 25 counts of 2nd degree murder
Ice Bucket Challenge goes viral
Louisiana State Representative Steve Scalise is exposed as speaking at an event hosted by a white supremacist group founded by former KKK leader
President Obama creates task force for 21st century policing
Attorney General Eric Holder announces his resignation
President Obama nominates Loretta Lynch for Attorney General
President Obama sends 1,500 troops to Iraq
Russia’s Vladimir Putin exposes his presence and power to the world
VH-1 “Sorority Girls” reality TV show gets severe backlash from the Black Greek community and HBCUs
“Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism” documentary develops a cult like following across the country
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