BY: KABRENA ROBINSON

2018 was quite the year; Outlined by moments and events that were both overwhelming good and bad. For the most part, it could be described as one of the most tragic years in decades, with occurrences of many horrific and fatal incidents such as school shootings, hate crimes, terrorism, and natural disasters. Events that though appalling in nature, ignited a great degree of togetherness across the world. However, there were those swift great moments in the year that brought about euphoria and celebrations, like Canada’s historic move towards becoming the second country in the world to legalize recreational Cannabis and the widely televised and much discussed Royal wedding as well as many worldwide celebrations of progress and developments in politics and even science. 2018 can be highlighted as the year of reflection and strive for change.

#Metoo continues to make an impact

One of these moments involves the dominance of the #MeToo movement that garnered the world’s attention, spreading awareness of sexual assault in 2017. The movement was progressive as ever this year. The viral #MeToo hashtag (first initiated by Tarana Burke ten years ago), was reignited on October 15th, 2017 after American actress Alyssa Milano tweeted encouraging survivors of sexual assault to speak out using ‘#Me Too’ in their tweets. The hashtag spread like wildfire online with more than 500,000 mentions on Twitter and 12 million times on Facebook in the first 24 hours alone. Millions of women posted #MeToo on social media to say that they had been sexually assaulted, abused or harassed. The great awareness brought by the hashtag to sexual assault cases created a major shift in the narrative of the patriarchal power structure and how sexual assault cases are often regarded and dealt with by society. The Harvey Weinstein case in 2017 opened the gate to many more revelations and testimonies from survivors. The impact was so drastic that according to a New York Times article, at least 200 prominent men have lost their jobs after public allegations of sexual assault. A few, including Weinstein, face criminal charges. The article goes on to state that at least 920 people came forward to say that one of these men subjected them to sexual misconduct. And nearly half of the men who have been replaced were succeeded by women. This many would say was a tremendous milestone for female empowerment.

#MeToo in Canada

In Canada, several stories emerged at the start of the year about past allegedly inappropriate behavior of members of Parliament, both male and female, from the four main federal parties. This national conversation influenced many changes to the  MP-to-MP code of conduct, the Senate harassment policy, new rules within the respective political parties, enhanced training for staff on Parliament Hill and new protections for federal workers.

Women in Politics

The impact of the movement and the surge of feminism and female empowerment across the world also had some degree of influence on politics. On November 6, the United States held its midterm elections. Democrats reclaimed a majority in the House and a record number of women and visible minorities were elected to Congress. Among the history makers were Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the first two Muslim women ever elected to the House of Representatives. This year was deemed as a “historic year for minority women in politics.”

Also, as the rest of the word was cheering on the new era for female advancements, so was the small island of Barbados who elected Mia Mottley as its first female Prime Minister, adding to a growing list of woman-led countries in the Caribbean community.

However, while the year has seen some major growth in the area of female empowerment and representation, there is still a far way to go as women are still greatly underrepresented in politics around the world. Currently, there are only 20 women holding the office of Head of State or Head of Government, which represents only 3% of the total number of international leaders.

The Royal Wedding and Diversity

Another main event that brought about celebration was the much anticipated royal wedding for Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle. Unlike any other royal wedding, the excitement that captured the world was due to it being “the most diverse Royal Wedding in Britain’s history”. Markel, now Duchess of Sussex, is of mixed descent. The wedding that had millions tuned in across the world, did not fall short with incorporating the Duchess’ African-American roots with a wedding adorned by elements of the black church, gospel music and an attendance list that greatly mirrored an occasion that for many symbolized a step further for inclusivity and modern culture. 

New Reign

While the year brought a great surge of excitement and intrigue with the British Royal Family and the wedding, there were also significant revolutions in politics taking place in other countries. The Cubans saw the end of the six-decade Castro era as they welcomed Miguel Diaz-Canel as their new president, replacing Raul Castro in April, a change in leadership that might prompt some adjustments to a nation deeply identified with the Castros, who led the successful revolution in 1959 which resulted in the most enduring communist system in the Western Hemisphere. While in May, Iraq, and Syria rejoiced for the first defeat of the Islamic State (a group that has been labeled as a terrorist organization by the United Nations and many individual countries). Both countries have been at war with the Islamic State since 2014. The defeat declared as “end of the war” comes after months of fighting to uproot the militant group in the regions.

Canada Makes history with Cannabis Legalization

Canada also had its own major innovation by making history when they became the second country in the world after Uruguay to formally legalize recreational use of Cannabis and the first G7 and world’s largest country with legal sales on October 17, 2018. The much anticipated moment was met by fanfare and celebration from many Canadians, some even gathering in parks and concert venues to smoke and welcome the new change. Cannabis was banned in Canada from 1923 until regulated medical cannabis became legal in 2001.

Canada’s Wave of Tragedies

While the year was marked by many moments of celebration and innovation, there were some unfavorable and fatal incidents that captured the attention and sympathy of Canadians and people around the world. In the month of April two very traumatic incidents had the entire country in dismay and mournfulness. On April 6^th, a deadly bus crash in Saskatchewan left 16 people dead and 13 injured. Among the dead were 10 players ranging in ages 16 to 21, and six team personnel from the Humboldt Broncos, a junior ice hockey team. This has been dubbed as the country’s biggest news story of the year and brought forth a great outpouring of support from people across the country. The town with a population of 6,000 united in support of their lost loved ones, as donors worldwide raised $15.2 million for victims’ families.

A couple of weeks later, the nation was shaken by another horrific incident.
On April 23^rd, a van plowed through pedestrians in the Yonge and Finch area, deliberately hitting almost everything in its path. The incident resulted in 10 deaths and 16 injuries, some critical. Alek Minassian, 25, was identified as the suspect and faces 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder. The incident has been ruled out as “the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history”. The tragedy joined many Torontonians and others across the country together in a state of mourning with a #Torontostrong vigil and the memorial scene in Lastman Square and an impromptu memorial in Olive Park. Several crowdfunding campaigns were also set up to raise money for the victims’ families to cover expenses. Both events marked a rather dim and melancholy chapter of the year in Canada.

Escalated Gun Violence in the US

The US also saw 2018 as a year plagued by numerous heinous acts involving gun violence. A total of 328 people has been killed and 1,251 people injured in mass shootings in 2018, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive. 2018 was sullied by horrific incidents of gun violence in schools, places of worship, watering holes and malls throughout the year. In fact, this year, school shootings were at a record high in the US.

According to data from the US Naval Postgraduate School, there were 94 school gun violence incidents this year in the US — a record high since 1970. Though these many incidents caused a lot of fatalities, it brought into focus the conversation on gun control. Many mass shootings and student-led protests for gun control in 2018 have prompted numerous organizations, from advocacy groups to retailers, to take a position on the debate.

After a shooter left 17 dead at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in February, surviving students launched a nationwide protest movement that included a series of high-profile demonstrations called the “March for Our Lives”.

Natural Tragedies

The US was also shaken by a series of natural disasters that left in its trail great destruction to communities and homes and also tragic losses. The 2018 Atlantic hurricane season experienced two of the most destructive storms in the United States history, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael.

In September, Florence made a landfall in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, accompanied by a huge storm surge and widespread flooding. The hurricane-ravaged communities suffered a total of 53 deaths and billions in property damages. Floodwaters in North and South Carolina persisted for two weeks after the devastation and much of the area is still recuperating.

Not long after in October, hurricane Michael struck parts of Florida. According to weather reports, it was the strongest storm on record in the Florida Panhandle, and was the fourth-strongest landfalling hurricane in the contiguous United States, in terms of wind speed. Florida cities were destroyed beyond recognition by this powerful hurricane that wrecked many homes, businesses, and agriculture. At least 34 were killed with 1,135 Floridians still unaccounted for.

The Great Rescue

While these catastrophes devastated Americans and the rest of the world tuning in, there were brief moments that brought relief. In late June, the news that twelve boys and their soccer coach were stranded in a cave in Thailand’s Chiang Rai province gripped the attention of the world as they watched the great ordeal and rescue that lasted for 18 days. After news of the safe rescue, news outlets around the world both major and small as well as the rest of the world that was eagerly watching shared in the joy and relief.

Buju Free at Last

Another liberating moment at the top of the entertainment news cycles, was the release of international reggae/dancehall superstar, Mark Anthony Myrie famously known as Buju Banton. The entire Caribbean community and fans of the popular artist around the world were in a frenzy after the news of his early release from prison after eight years at the McRae Correctional institution broke. Banton arrived in Kingston Jamaica on December 7^th to a heroes welcome and great fanfare from supporters who now anticipate his return to the music scene. He is now set to perform his first concert on March 16^th, 2019, at the National Stadium in Kingston Jamaica. 

Prosperity and Progress

Looking back at all the major events that unfolded in the year 2018, the ones that brought us shock, sadness and grief to the moments we were able to rejoice and bask in joy and celebration, is a constant reminder for us to reflect and assess the changes that ought to be made in the coming year. Numerous times this year we were reminded of just how powerful and essential unity in times of adversity is. Whether we were mourning and paying respects to lost lives, being a humanitarian in times of need, cheering on a rescue mission, celebrating revolutions and innovative changes or even challenging the status quo, the common denominator was a collective effort and cohesion.

Heading into 2019, let us reflect on the things that impacted us the most this year and which element of it each of us can contribute to or change in a positive way.