2015: A Year in Review…Highlights, Low Points

• by Urban CNY News
• January 15, 2016

This is a snapshot of the year 2015. Not all stories are listed but these are some issues that captured the spotlight in a year that had people wondering if we were at the end of days. An unthinkable attack on one of our most sacred places a church. Battling over infrastructure spending verses big-projects and the Confederate flag controversy on the heels of the South Carolina shootings. And then there’s Bill Cosby. After the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, MD direct action was initiated by residents’, peaceful actions dampened by those who’d introduce violence and looting to the demonstrations. Racial identity became front page news as it was revealed that the leader of the local NAACP of Spokane, Washington; Rachel Dolezal was been “outed” as not being what she says she is. Dolezal, who identifies as Black, faced mounting pressure to explain herself as her birth parents made public statements to the effect that, “She’s white”. Immediately there was a firestorm regarding race and racial identity in America. Locally, residents were fed-up with the spike in gun related violence and seemingly out of nowhere, Light The Night 315” Marching for Restoration and Unity was born.  By the end of 2015 there’s discord between City of Syracuse concept of Economic Development and Onondaga County’s Development Agency. The unveiling of Syracuse’s residents living in extreme poverty number 1 in the nation among African-Americans and Hispanics sent shockwaves through the region. Funding for CENTRO was cut threatening the livelihood of those dependent of the service to travel around the area. Sending those dependent on the system into wondering, “How am I going to get to work?”   2015: What a Year!   Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church: Attack during  Prayer Service On June 17th Dylann Storm Roof opened fire at a historic African-American church in Charleston, S.C.  The individual was attending a scheduled Bible Study at the Emanuel AME Church. Upon arrival the shooter asked, “Who is the Pastor” reportedly sat in study for an hour, then turned his gun on 10 victims out of the 13 in attendance, 9 have died.  Included among the 9 who lost their lives was Pastor and State Senator, Clementa Pinckney. According to reports the shooter made a statement after he shot 10 people, “You rape our women, and taking over our country and you got to go” Eulogy Elevates Obama to the Highest Level of His Presidency   Friday June 26, 2015 will be noted in the annuls of history as President Obama gave the speech of his Presidency, as he eulogized slain pastor and state representative Clementa Pinkney Pastor of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S. Carolina. It wasn’t a traditional speech, it was electric as he channeled oratory that of a preacher from a Southern Baptist Church. As with any speech the requisite phrases were there but suddenly it took on spiritual levity as he shifted his focus to the African-American church in American history. In between weaving the message of the Gospel, reminding them that Emanuel AME Church as with churches in the Black community hold significance that extends beyond Sunday services. Obama gave a history lesson on the importance of the African-American church, in fact he did it better than many pastors can. He defined the church’s role through slavery up to present as the center of life in the African-American community. “Over the course of centuries, black churches served as ‘hush harbors’ where slaves could worship in safety; praise houses where their free descendants could gather and shout hallelujah rest stops for the weary along the Underground Railroad; bunkers for the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement. They have been, and continue to be, community centers where we organize for jobs and justice; places of scholarship and network; places where children are loved and fed and kept out of harm’s way, and told that they are beautiful and smart and taught that they matter. That’s what happens in church…” Confederate flag Removed from S. Carolina Capital Grounds July 2015 – Those yearning for days of the old southern Confederacy are basing their support on tails of regional heritage dating back to the 1800’s. However, the flags modern day importance as a symbol dates back to the 1950’s and the explosive early 1960’s as the fight for voting rights and school desegregation intensified. In Alabama, on April 25, 1963 the Confederate Battle Flag was raised over the Capitol when Attorney General Robert Kennedy met Gov. George Wallace inside the Capitol. The placement of this Confederate Battle Flag on statehouses was in direct defiance to the Civil Rights movement. South Carolina raised the flag at its Statehouse more than 50 years ago in response to the civil rights movement. The South Carolina House and Senate voted to remove the Confederate flag from Capitol grounds, in an early morning vote on Thursday, July 9, 2015. After the bill was approved by the state’s House of Representatives it faced hours of debate in the Senate.  After boisterous debate, the Senate bill passed 94-20 and was sent on to South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for her signature. According to the Senate bill, the Confederate flag would have to come down within 24 hours of approval and signature of the governor. Baltimore Riot: What Would Dr. King Say? Like a moth to a flame, news organizations fanned out looking for signs of violence. As Baltimore’s youth took to the streets in protest of the death of Freddie Gray. Gray, a 25 year old African-American man, died in police custody after suffering a spinal injury while being transported. A CVS drugstore was the televised epicenter of the crises as it was looted and burned. In another part of Baltimore a church funded Senior Citizen housing development went up in flames. Small businesses in the affected areas of Baltimore suffered irreparable damage to their stores. On MSNBC’s Hard Ball, Chris Matthews spittle’s out,” Some grandma is going to need her prescriptions tomorrow!” Social media