On Saturday, March 14th, 2020 I turned 38 years old.
I began the day by celebrating the life of my dear Uncle Fred, and then spent the rest of the day "preparing," which meant going store to store buying non-perishable food supplies. In preparation for an impending period of economic & social shutdown (quarantine) that is currently happening to most urban cities across the globe.
As a millennial I think it is now safe to say that folks "in my generation" have witnessed much in our lifetimes. After 24 hours in quarantine, I have compiled a 38 point breakdown of some of the most significant events that I have personally experienced, that also had a direct impact on my peers and our shared culture/society."
Starting in the 1980s with the first Iraq-Iran War, followed by:
1982 - My Birth, U.S.A ends a period of recession, Average cost of a house was $85K, Gas was 1.25 cents a gallon, Michael Jackson releases the Thriller album and becomes an Icon.
1983 - U.S. Un-employment rises to 12 million, Microsoft releases Word program, Freaknik begins as a small picnic near the Atlanta University Center.
1984 - Apple Macintosh Computer introduction, Beverly Hills Cop & Ghostbusters both debut.
1985 - Windows 1.0 is released, The Color Purple debuts, Michael Jordan is NBA Rookie of the Year, New Coke, and Nintendo are introduced to the U.S. Market.
1986 - The Oprah Winfrey Show debuts, the Space Shuttle Challenger explodes.
1987 - Black Monday, global financial market crash, the Dow Jones Industrial Avg. fell exactly 508 points (22.6%), Worldwide losses were estimated at $1.7 trillion US dollars.
1988 - After 8 years and 1.5 million dead the Iran - Iraq war ends, Coming to America & School Daze both debut.
1989 - Average cost of a house was $140K, Gas was 1.06 cents a gallon, Berlin Wall Falls, Hundreds of student protestors are killed by the Chinese government in Tiananmen Square, Nintendo releases the Gameboy, the U.S. Savings and Loan Crisis requires a government bailout of $150 Billion, Do the Right Thing, Batman, and Driving Miss Daisy debut "Yes Miss Daisy" is the catchphrase we wish we forgot.
1990 - Nelson Mandela Released from Prison in South Africa, House Party debuts and their dance routine becomes legendary
1991 - Gulf War, Operation Desert Shield, Magic Johnson one of the most prolific athletes of all times revealed his HIV status, Boyz in The Hood debuts, Rodney King is severely beaten on the side of the road by police officers and video tape evidence goes out around the country.
1992 - The L.A. Riots occur after 4 police officers acquitted for excessive force beating of Rodney King, Bill Clinton is elected as President of the United States, Malcolm X debuts in theaters.
1993 - Average cost of a house was $144K, Gas was $1.17 a gallon, Menace II Society debuts.
1994 - The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, it is the largest crime bill in the history of the United States and consisted of 356 pages that provided for 100,000 new police officers, $9.7 billion in funding for prisons and $6.1 billion in funding for prevention programs, Nelson Mandela is elected President of South Africa
1995 - The Movie "Friday" debuts.
1996 - Murder of one of our most iconic rappers: Tupac Shakur, Set it Off debuts.
1997 - Murder of the second most iconic rapper: Biggie Smalls, Soul Food debuts.
1998 - Average cost of a new house was $180K, Gas was $1.12 a gallon, Google is created, The United States has budget surplus for the first time in 30 years.
1999 - President of the United States Bill Clinton Impeached for his words "..not having sexual relations, ""Y2K" Fears of Global Internet Shutdown, The European Union releases the Euro as their form of currency, Napster is created, The Wood debuts.
2000 - I graduated from George Washington Preparatory High School, and began my freshman year of college at Xavier University of Louisiana, Election of George W. Bush, after election ballots were widely miscounted and debated in a Florida districts. "Hanging Chad."
2001 - "9/11" An unprecedented & devastating attack on American soil resulting in the loss of thousands of lives, U.S. Invasion of Afghanistan.
2002 - Kanye West releases his debut single "Through the Wire." Brown Sugar debuts, the Los Angeles Lakers win their third NBA championship in a row "3-Peat."
2003 - Iraq War, hundreds of thousands of lives by military & civilian lost as a result. Launch & Introduction of "LinkedIn", "Friendster," and "Myspace."
2004 - Average cost of a house was $279K, Gas was $1.88 a gallon, Launch & Introduction of "Facebook" (for Harvard students only version), Re-election of George W. Bush as President of the United States, I graduated with my Bachelors Degree from Xavier University of Louisiana
2005 - Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf of Mexico, US, thousands of lives lost and along with massive damage to property, specifically the horrors that happened in New Orleans, LA, motivated Musician Kanye West to declare "George Bush does not care about Black People," live during a telethon.
2006 - Kobe Bryant scores 81 points in the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Toronto Raptors game and "The Black Mamba" is born
2007 - Financial Market Crash, due to risky subprime mortgage backed securities and international investment banking mismanagement leading to "The Great Recession."
2008 - Economic Stimulus Act amounting over $152 Billion, , Election of Barack H. Obama as the first Black President of the United States of America, introduction of his family & just as important to many our First Lady Michelle Obama arrives into our lives.
2009 - $831 Billion, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. economic stimulus package in response to the recession. Oscar Grant shot in the back and killed by a police officer in an Oakland, Calif. train station. Emergence of the Tea Party Movement, a fiscally conservative group of republicans who took over the GOP platform, dedicated to lowering taxes and obstructing legislation sponsored by the Obama Administration, I began graduate school at the Freeman School of Business, Tulane University in New Orleans, LA
2010 - Average cost of a house was $252K, Gas was $3.02 a gallon, Emergence of the Birther Movement, "Where's your birth certificate?"
2011 - I received my MBA from the Freeman School of Business, Tulane University in New Orleans, LA, Watch the Throne a collaborative studio album by Jay-Z and Kanye West is released and a new era of "Black Excellence" begins along with "Niggas in Paris."
2012 - Murder of 17 year old young Black teenager Trayvon Martin, his murderer G. Zimmerman later acquitted in 2013.
2013 - Emergence of the slogan "Black Lives Matter" followed by the international activist organization.
2014 - Eric Garner murdered by police leads to national chants of "I Can't Breathe." The Ferguson Unrest a period of riots & protests after the Murder of Michael Brown by police officer.
2015 - Average cost of a house was $341K, Gas was $2.45 a gallon, Jay-Z acquires and releases the music streaming service "Tidal."
2016 - Murders of Alton Sterling (7/5), & Philando Castille (7/16) by Police Officers. Election of Donald J. Trump, later revealed that Russia tampered with election, my partners and I started "Back Pack Investments, LLC."
2017 - Girls Trip debuts.
2018 - My partners and I utilized the skills, experience, and resources we built we with "Back Pack Investments, LLC. and launched "The Black Coffee Company."
2019 - I got married to love of my life, "Ayron Butler," in New Orleans, LA, Murder of Prolific Entrepreneur & Rapper, Nipsey "The Great" Hussle
2020 - Average cost of a house is $402K, Gas is $3.34 (CA) a gallon, a helicopter plane crash death of Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and 7 others on Jan 26th, the Global CORVID-19 "Corona Virus" epidemic has resulted in over 3000 thousand deaths worldwide, causing wide spread panic, national emergencies being declared my multiple governments, and "the worst" financial market crash since 1987.
March 2020 - This week the Federal Reserve announced that it would offer financial firms up to $1.5 trillion in short-term, collateralized loans to help stabilize the markets, and today President Trump announced an $850 Billion dollar economic stimulus package aimed to help small businesses & citizens being impacted across the country.
The Governors of California & New York States order citizens to #StayAtHome
If you are still following so far, you know can see that we have seen some amazing days & some truly dark moments over this relatively brief period of time.
One constant that I can attest to, tough times don't last.
There will be periods of great societal & economic success once again in our collective future, but if we fail to learn the lessons available to us during these tough times, then they will most certainly be repeated.
To be Continued.....
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org