Many of us go
through the useless ritual of making New
Year’s resolutions and proclaiming “out with
the old.” Maybe that works for your eating
habits or exercise routine, but 2023 news will
be with us into 2024. From my perspective,
these are the things we’ll be paying attention
to in 2024.
1. I’m an economist,
so my top news carryover is the economy.
Inflation is slowing, and unemployment rates
are low. Good news, right? Some economists are
still predicting a recession in 2024 and a
“sharp hit,” not a “soft landing.” Either way,
economic news will dominate in 2024, and the
fact that it’s an election year means there
will be “alternative facts” and
interpretations. Bottom line – stash your
money. Recession hits Black folks harder, and
recovery helps us more slowly than it helps
others. And don’t believe the hype that Biden
didn’t help the economy. He did!
2. Congressional
gridlock won’t go away until the election of
2024. Republicans have a narrow majority and
can’t seem to get much done. A budget has to
be passed in January, but neither side appears
willing to compromise on immigration reform
and border control, aid to Ukraine and Israel,
and more. I don’t think Republicans are eager
to shut the government down, especially in an
election year, but their brinksmanship has
left their party in tatters (who knew who Mike
Johnson (R-LA) was a year ago?)
3. While I hate to
elevate the narcissistic former President, he
dominates the news, and unfortunately, too
many cover him uncritically. Look – he lost
the 2020 election and inspired an
insurrection. He’s been indicted 91 times and
is unfit for public office, but his hard-right
supporters, including many Congressional
Republicans, are too afraid of his influence
to speak up. Can he win in 2024? Unless we
invest in record turnout, very possibly.
4. Anti-blackness in
education and legislation. While the
mainstream media won’t cover this much, it is
alarming that 44 states have introduced
legislation to restrict teaching about race.
More than 1600 books have been banned,
including works by luminaries like Toni
Morrison and Alice Walker. Couple this with
the efforts of Edward Blum to dismantle
affirmative action, going so far as to sue the
government, the private sector, and even
African American women who have developed
race-specific efforts. This effort isn’t going
away. Conservative foundations fund Blum’s
efforts. These very predatory capitalists used
racism to build their fortunes and now want to
eliminate the use of race in repairing the
racial wealth gap.
5. Additionally, there
have been constant attacks on DEI (Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion) efforts at
universities, government organizations, and
private companies. Anti-blackness is alive and
well. The struggle continues.
6. Police violence.
Nobody covers police violence better than
Roland Martin, who very frequently highlights
incidents of police violence that don’t make
the national headlines. Just because it isn’t
on the front page of the New
York Times doesn’t mean
it isn’t happening. Kudos to Roland for
constantly lifting this up and to attorney Ben
Crump for working with the families of those
massacred at the hands of rabid police
officers. Justice delayed is not always
justice denied. Thanks to Assistant Attorney
General Kristen Clarke, many of these
massacres are being aggressively investigated.
7. Immigration reform
and border control have been unfinished
business since 1986, but the former President
has denigrated and misrepresented immigrants.
There’s no easy solution to immigration. How
do we deport millions who are now part of the
fabric of our lives? How do we absorb the
people at our borders who are only looking for
a better way of life? How do we balance the
needs of those coming in with those already
here? Cities like Chicago and New York
struggle to accommodate people whose putrid
governors (like Texas’ Greg Abbott) are
shipping people to those states. Jingoistic
rhetoric doesn’t help a pressing issue. With
Orange Man acolytes running the Congress, any
solution seems grim, if not impossible.
8. Israel
People in the
United States are firmly divided on how our
country deals with the Middle East. It goes
without saying that Hamas was wrong in its
attack on Israel, which resulted in between
1200 and 1400 deaths and the taking of more
than 200 hostages. It should also go without
saying that the attack was a function of the
apartheid state Palestinians were forced into,
the land loss that they experienced, and the
desperation that many felt. Wading into this
conflict is like touching kryptonite. If you
say the wrong thing, you’re dead. But while it
is essential to condemn Hamas, it is also
important to acknowledge their motivation.
There must be a cease-fire. The hostages must
be released. The United States must be much
more measured in our approach.
9. Labor Power
Organized labor
stepped up and showed out with strikes from
the United Auto Workers, Los Angeles teachers
and ancillary workers, and actors and writers
in the entertainment industry. It’s essential
to black folks because when we are organized,
we make about a third more than Black folks
who aren’t organized. Economic issues have
radicalized workers who thought they had no
power. Now, as the economy tilts against
workers, organizing tilts toward them.
Fasten your seat
belts, y’all. 2023 left us with much in the
trunk for 2024. May we use this election year
to struggle for economic and social justice?