Many people are familiar with the peaceful monk-like image of Martin Luther King Jr. that is so popular. In reality, the story of Dr. King has been sanitized, polished, and glorified. We've all heard the timeless soundbites from the I Have a Dream and Mountaintop speeches that are circulated every year around the time of the MLK federal holiday. However, most people would be shocked to hear the things that Dr. King preached in the final years of his tragically short life. The MLK that most people are unfamiliar with condemned the War in Vietnam, sympathized with rioters in Chicago, and demanded that the United States government reimburse African-Americans for 350 years of oppression. Now, I am the last person to fall for every conspiracy theory presented to me, but did you know that in 1999 a jury found the unnamed United States intelligence agencies guilty of aiding in Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination. I am being 100% genuine and serious. A jury of 12 (six black six white) actually unanimously came to that verdict in under an hour. The case had over 70 witnesses present evidence (It's hard to believe, so google search Coretta Scott King et al. vs Loyd Jowers et al. I mean this was published in the New York Times) . At the very least the U.S. government knew of a planned assassination and turned their head. That's not the point, the point is, why after all of the fame King had obtained, did it take until April of 1968 for somebody to decide to assassinate him?
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Millennials, or generation Y, is a cohort of people born roughly between 1980 and 2000. They are characterized by high rates of college attendance, high diversity, liberalism (although they severely lack political efficacy), low religiosity, and a thirst for innovation and expression. As the last of the millennials are starting to mature and find their place in American society, 2015 could be a pivotal year in defining and launching the legacy of generation Y.
Pop Culture: There are a couple movies that could be iconic for the generation. First, the final Hunger Games movie, a movie and story about the rebellion charged by individuals who while passionate about change, also have disdain for society in general (perhaps foreshadowing?). Also, Pitch Perfect 2 will come out in 2015. The first Pitch Perfect movie caught fire because of its pop culture references, satire, and highlighting of aspects of millennial culture. Pitch Perfect 2 also captures the generation's fascination with music. And it is Music which could be the most explosive realm of pop culture in 2015. Lollapalooza in Grant Park, Chicago is set to be one of the most attended outdoors events ever. Rihanna, Adelle, and Megan Trainor are all expected to release albums. Hip-Hop, the genre that sells the most albums and songs among millennials, might have its biggest year since the mid-90's era of B.I.G., Pac, Jay-Z, NAS, Wu-Tang, and DMX. 2015 may be the year where great artists make their final significant contributions, and young artists take the spotlight. Kanye West and Lil Wayne will both release their final major albums. In addition self proclaimed hip hop kings JCole, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake will OFFICIALLY drop their albums in 2015 (Although many of the songs have already leaked), as will young up-and-comers such as Chance the Rapper, Tyler the Creator, Rae Srummond, Kid Ink, Iggy Azaela (sorry, not a fan though), and Meek Millz. I personally am salivating at the anticipation of 2015's hip hop contributions. Politics: Obama's final turn is looking like its going to be one of two narratives: Obama the executive action connoisseur, and Obama the Veto King. President Obama is going to do everything in his power to address the agenda and doesn't |
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October 2018
Matt BruceViva DSM!! |