The Impact of 2018

2018

Every year creates its own history as it happens. History lives. So here’s a look at what we learned from 2018 and how we were impacted. What was significant in 2018? What changed the world? Here are 10 things:

2018

1. President Donald Trump changed the world of politics, the Republican Party and the Office of the President. He impacted media and how the world views the White House. His tweets will become legendary as they have brought about media change. Trump responds directly, to questions not even asked, with no press secretary needed.

He is unexpected, surprising and candid with his remarks that take no prisoners. He comments with no filter. The media observes, reports and responds with public discussion on what Trump tweeted last night. He is a gold mine for media organizations, as the public consumes the news of Trump’s bizarre actions that come one after another.

2018

2. Michelle Obama took the book world by storm as author of the best seller Becoming, the number one book of the year. Michelle is touring the country like a rock star in stadiums, with huge crowds watching her get interviewed by notables after paying ticket prices ranging from the hundreds to the thousands. Her memoir sold two million copies in two weeks.

Michelle is the number one lady, the most popular in the world, with portfolio as a wife, mother, and First Lady. She is in prime time, making her voice heard with the trials and tribulations of being a working mother. The girl from the South Side rose to the very top of society, in her own way. She is unique, one of one in her very own right.

2018

3. National Football League professional quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee on the football field as he protested police brutality against Black men everywhere. He is paying the price for his actions, as no other team has signed him to play in a league where he is far better than some of the quarterbacks who are on team rosters. Colin stood up as he took the knee and is paying the price…but he is the hero, however, in the NIKE commercials with his protest signature.

2018

4. Serena Williams went back to the tennis court after becoming a mother. She played tennis and was cheated out of a championship. She still reigns, as the Female Athlete of the Year for 2018, and will certainly change the rules of the game for women players as she rises even more.

2018
Sen. John McCain, Barbara and George Bush, Nancy Sinatra Sr., Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Yvonne Staples, Rev. Billy Graham, and Winnie Mandela

5. 2018 brought death to heroes and iconic figures. Senator John McCain demonstrated to us all what a hero looked like. Barbara Bush and her husband President George Bush showed America what a noble funeral looked like. Aretha Franklin had a diva’s funeral that brought the entertainment world to its knees.

Winnie Mandela died in South Africa as a heroine and activist. Jazz stylist Nancy Wilson passed quietly. Yvonne Staples of the Staple Singers passed. Frank Sinatra’s first wife and the mother of his children died at 101. Reverend Billy Graham, an evangelist and the minister to presidents, died at 99.

2018

6. Mayor Rahm Emanuel decided not to run for a third term for Mayor of the City of Chicago – he actually resigned knowing that he could not win re-election – and 21 candidates stepped up for the office on the Fifth Floor, from the activist to veteran and seasoned politicians. The Chicago run offers a wide variety of possibilities with tremendous range.

2018

7. The movie Black Panther proved to be the top box office attraction with over $1.3 billion tickets sold worldwide. It has become the third highest grossing movie ever in the United States and ninth highest grossing ever worldwide. The moral of the story is that Black superheroes are in vogue and a box office hit for people all over the world.

2018

8. In the world of media, streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime have transformed how we watch television…with endless choices of viewing from movies to documentaries and series.

2018
Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Tavis Smiley and Garrison Keillor

9. Women rule the world, as the men who have been offensive with their sexual advances have discovered. The insults, harassment and sexual misconduct wiped male TV legends off the airwaves, including such formerly esteemed journalists as Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Tavis Smiley, and Garrison Keillor. America’s Dad Bill Cosby has been jailed for his acts while trial awaits film producer Harvey Weinstein.

2018
Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Les Moonves, and Kevin Spacey

CBS’ top chief Les Moonves lost his severance package of $120 million as he was forced to walk away from being a TV powerhouse. Actor Kevin Spacey has just been indicted on sexual assault charges of a young man that may land him in jail for five years.

2018

And we watched intensely as Christine Blasey Ford bravely and boldly, though ultimately unsuccessfully, challenged the nomination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh as he was up for the Supreme Court for allegedly sexually assaulting her years earlier.

2018

10. The Royal Wedding gave the world a touch of romance as Prince Harry took the hand of American born actress Meghan Markle. They showed us class, romance, love, family, and diversity in a fairy tale wedding.

That was 2018. What will 2019 bring? Happy New Year, from the staff of N’DIGO!

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