September to remember — October surprise
MTA workers installing new singage at the President Street
subway station. Marc A. Herman
Caribbean Life, Oct. 9-15, 2020 13
America’s rollercoaster ride
through 2020 continues to
give pause for a future destined
to a path looming with clear
and present danger.
September traditionally
referred to with reference to its
rhyming pathology for recall as
the calendar month filled with
nostalgia will be recalled in
2020 for the topsy-turvy news
cycle alerting consistent breaking
news related to school reopenings,
disclosure of grand
jury testimony in the Breonna
Taylor murder case, west
coast forest fires, the deaths
of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
and Jamaica’s reggae titan
Toots Hibbert, super-spreading
COVID-19 events, a national
election in Jamaica, hurricane
predictions, and a myriad of
issues surrounding the first
presidential debate.
Followed by the month
renowned for its uncertainty
and unpredictability, it gained
its repute in 1980 when former
Republican California governor
Ronald Reagan challenged
Jimmy Carter, the Democratic
incumbent president who pundits
said would retain his office.
A hostage crisis changed everything
hence the “October surprise”
which seems to repeat
every election cycle.
In 2020 the phrase definitively
describes the trajectory
to Nov. 3.
On the first day of the month,
President Donald Trump tweeted
to millions of Americans
that he had contracted the
coronavirus.
Regardless of party affiliation,
Americans were stunned
by the news.
Although some admitted no
surprise due to the fact the
leader had long maintained a
no mask wearing practice, rallied
with crowds of like-minded
supporters, flagrantly ignored
social distancing advice, there
was a measure of shock and disbelief
that prevailed throughout
the nation.
The news broke two days
after a contentious debate
seemed to widen the divide
that separates right and left,
whites and Blacks, Red states
and Blue states, and a plethora
of staunchly opposing voters.
October also arrived, one
day after California emerged
the first state to adopt a law
that could legitimize reparation
payments to Black residents
and all descendants of
slaves.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed
a bill that could speed execution
of his aim to compensate
an entire race because of the
injustice he believes must be
resolved for the free labor they
were forced to perform for 400
years.
“After watching last night’s
debate, this signing can’t come
too soon,” the California governor
said during a videoconference
with lawmakers, actor/
rapper Ice Cube and other
stakeholders.
The law establishes a nineperson
task force to study the
impact of slavery on Black people
in California.
The bipartisan approval also
recommends to the Legislature
what kind of compensation
should be provided and
who should receive it and what
form it will take. ”
“As a nation, we can only
truly thrive when every one
of us has the opportunity to
thrive. Our painful history of
slavery has evolved into structural
racism and bias built into
and permeating throughout
our democratic and economic
institutions,” Newsom said in a
statement.
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