2019 is shaping up to be like 2018. This will be another big year for Black women in the U.S. as we watch and participate in great moments and utter chaos on a weekly basis. We know that we are only a week in, but here are things we’re looking forward to and trying not to fret about in 2019!
6 things we’re looking forward to
- Democratic control of Congress. On January 3rd, the 2018 midterm winners were ushered into Congress. Nancy Pelosi is expected to be elected Speaker of the House as the 116th Congress has a Democratic majority. This change in power should generate real results. Republicans passed important legislation when they were in control of both houses of Congress. (Remember those tax cuts?) But with a majority Democratic House, it will be harder for Republicans to pass legislation. Democrats have also vowed to do all that they can to protect the Mueller investigation. Using their subpoena and other powers, they also plan to launch some inquiries of their own. Stay tuned.
- A slate of qualified and competent presidential candidates for 2020, including (maybe) Senator Kamala Harris. The Presidential election of 2020 is two years away but political debates start in June, which means that several folks will be announcing their candidacies in the coming weeks. ICYMI, Elizabeth Warren was first out of the gate. She announced her exploratory committee on December 31, 2018. Perhaps to show her progressive bona fides, she also hired as her chief of staff, Anne Reid, a Black woman and former member of the Obama administration. Next up? We’re looking at California Senator Kamala Harris. She is expected to announce her run any day!
- The Black Census! We’re excited to learn what thousands of Black people have to say about critical issues in our country. Our voices are our power, so make sure that yours is heard. Check it out and take it here. Black Futures Lab is gathering responses until August 2019.
- New learnings from special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation. We’re staying abreast of what’s going on with Robert Mueller’s work. The indictments and guilty pleas from his investigation are teaching us a lot about corruption and greed at the highest levels of U.S. power. We already know that – Yes, Virginia! – there was Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential elections. Surely, there is more news to come.
- Letitia James taking charge as New York State’s Attorney General. As we’ve mentioned before, we’re thrilled that Letitia James, whom we’re affectionately calling The Guardian of the Galaxy, will step into her power soon as attorney general of the great state of New York. She has vowed to use her powers for good. As The New York Times noted in their endorsement of her candidacy, “as NY’s attorney general, Ms. James has pledged to pursue cases of corruption in business and government, including those involving the Trump Foundation.” Yippee! Expect investigations of the Trumps and their New York business dealings to continue. The President has no power to end these investigations or to pardon himself or anyone else for crimes committed in New York State.
- Great TV, because it’s not all political. The final season of Game of Thrones starts in April 2019! Winter is coming dear readers. Get your glasses of wine and coats!
5 things we’re trying not to fret about
- An ongoing government shut down – In case you haven’t heard, the government is CLOSED because the President demanded that Congress fund a border wall and Congress said, No. Thus, since December 22, 800,000 government workers are not working or working without pay. Happy New Year America. Democratic leaders of the new Congress have vowed to pass government funding bills to re-open the government. However, as we learned from School House Rock, both the House and the Senate must pass a bill for it to become law. And the President still has veto power.
- Another year of the Trump Administration’s governance by the corrupt and incompetent, and the bad effect that it has on the nation. There’s no need for a citation here as the daily news coming out of Washington proves the point. The thing speaks for itself.
- More lies. If you are like us, in 2018, you told friends, family or your TV hundreds of times that something President Trump said was untrue. Guess what? You were right! According to the Washington Post, Trump lied more than 15 times a day in 2018. This is approximately 7,200 lies in a year, which may be more times than POTUS told the truth in 2018. There’s no reason to expect this to change in 2019.
- Trump getting away scot-free. Even if Trump acted illegally, it is unlikely that he will be indicted by the United States of America. There, we said it. The New York Times agrees. In addition, absent information that we can’t even imagine at this time, the President probably is not going to be impeached by Congress either. There simply aren’t enough votes in the Senate for impeachment.
- Uncertain markets. As they say on Game of Thrones, winter is coming. Heck, for U.S. markets, winter might already be here! 2018 ended with significant drops in the market, with one-day declines of close to 600 and 800 points in the Dow in December alone. According to experts, there are many reasons for this, including rising interest rates, alleged rising corporate debt (wasn’t there a tax break?), trade wars, and growing market uncertainty about Washington.) It’s hard to tell if we’re experiencing a correction, recession or something else. We’ll have to wait and see.
So, there you have it, ladies. Like 2018, we predict that 2019, will have its ups and downs. Let’s get prepared for a bumpy ride!
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