January
Activists and community leaders rally behind City Councilman Charles Barron after threats linger that he will be ejected as chairman of the City Council Higher Education Committee. In New Jersey, Paula Dow becomes the state’s first African-American attorney general. The U.S. Census begins its promotion with its Portrait of America tour bus. Funeral services are held for the late Percy Sutton at the Riverside Church. Among those at the service are former Mayor David Dinkins and Rep. Charlie Rangel. The Rev. Al Sharpton eulogizes Sutton. After a loss for mayor against Michael Bloomberg, William Thompson announces he will run again in 2013. The Rev. Jesse Jackson makes a stop in the city for the 13th Annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit. Eunice Johnson, wife of the late John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing, dies at age 93. A 7.0-magnatude earthquake hits the Caribbean nation of Haiti in Port-au-Prince. New Yorkers along with the world provide help for Haiti with an outpour of support. The death toll of the quake is over 230,000 and 300,000 people are injured. A million people are left homeless. The 25th anniversary of the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is celebrated. Singer Teddy Pendergrass dies at age 59 of respiratory failure. Civic leader Birdie Mae Scott dies at age 101. In the wake of the earthquake, Wyclef Jean raises funds for Haitian homeland. However, allegations of mismanagement at his Yele Haiti Foundation arise in the media. ITALAmNewsITAL columnist and musicologist Raoul Abdul dies at age 80. Charles Barron is removed as chair of the City Council’s Higher Education Committee in a 47-to-1 vote. A Brooklyn federal judge rules that the FDNY intentionally discriminated against Black applicants in its hiring practices. The trial begins in the case of Michael Mineo, who alleges that NYPD officers sodomized him in a Brooklyn subway station in 2008. Debi Rose officially becomes Staten Island’s first-ever Black elected official when Gov. David Paterson swears her in as the City Council representative for the 49th Council District. At the 67th Golden Globe Awards, Mo’Nique walks away with the Best Supporting Actress award for her role in the movie “Precious.” President Barack Obama gives his first State of the Union Address. In his speech, the President emphasizes the need for job creation, ending Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and health care reform. At the 52nd Grammy Awards big winners include Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna and Maxwell. Beyonce Knowles wins six Grammys, including Song of the Year for “Single Ladies.” Caressa Cameron, Miss Virginia, is crowned Miss America. Cameron is the eighth Black woman to win the title.
February
Black History Month is celebrated with the theme “History of Black Economic Empowerment.” After his removal as City Council Higher Education chair, Councilman Charles Barron threatens legal action against City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. After a long fight against leukemia, six-year-old Jasmina Anna Amena dies. Nearly 300 people attend her funeral. Gov. Paterson selects a bid for the Aqueduct Entertainment Group to run the Aqueduct Race Track in Queens. The MTA threatens to take away student MetroCards to fill its $383 million budget gap. The New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 in Super Bowl XLIV. Human trafficking fears loom in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake as members of an Idaho Baptist missionary group take children out of the broken country without proper verification. The Haitian government arrests and later frees members of the group. Andrew Joseph Stack commits suicide when he flies his plane into an IRS building in Austin, Texas. Lillian Roberts is re-elected to a fourth term to lead DC37. The New York State Senate votes in favor of expelling Hiram Monserrate following his conviction in a 2009 domestic violence case. Tuskegee Airman Lee A. Archer dies at age 90. New York City is hit with a blizzard that produces nearly three feet of snow. Charges are made against Gov. Paterson for being involved in witness tampering in a domestic-abuse case involving staffer David Johnson, after New York State Police and Paterson allegedly called the woman. Rumors also in the ITALNew York TimesITAL and other media outlets claim Paterson was involved in an extramarital affair and drug use, which he quickly denies. Paterson withdraws his bid in the race for New York State governor. The city announces that it plans to close several homeless shelters in order to save the city $1 million. Bronx City Councilman Larry Seabrook turns himself over to federal authorities after being indicted on charges of corruption and money laundering. The 2010 Winter Olympic Games are held in Vancouver, Canada. Speed skating phenom Shani Davis becomes the only skater to defend his title in the 1000 meter race. President Obama issues an executive order establishing the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The Department of Justice rules that there is insufficient evidence to suggest that NYPD officers acted willfully during the 2006 police shooting death of Sean Bell. The federal government does not prosecute the police officers involved in the case. The 45th anniversary of the death of Malcolm X is commemorated. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the nation’s oldest Black college athletic conference, celebrates 65 years. A jury hands down a not-guilty verdict in the case of three NYPD officers accused of sodomizing Michael Mineo in a Brooklyn subway station. The jury claims that they “weighed all evidence and found reasonable doubt.” A 53-year-old man is arrested for planting a pyrotechnic bomb in the 125th Street subway station in Harlem. Roslyn M. Brock is named NAACP chair of the national board of directors. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake hits the South American nation of Chile, resulting in nearly 500 deaths.
March
Former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. announces in a ITALNew York TimesITAL op-ed that he will not run against Sen. Kristen Gillibrand for U.S. Senate. Rep. Charlie Rangel requests a leave of absence from his post as Chairman of the House of Ways and Means Committee while his ethics violation investigation continues. At the 82nd Academy Awards, actress Mo’Nique wins an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie “Precious.” Screenwriter Gregory Fletcher takes home the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for the film, becoming the first African-American to win the award. New Yorkers attend public hearing to voice their outrage over service cuts to the MTA. President Obama signs an executive order renewing the White House Initiative on historically Black colleges and Universities. Expelled State Sen. Hiram Monserrate announces he will run to get his seat back in a special election to fill his spot. New York is named one of 16 finalists in the Race to the Top program competing for nearly $1 billion federal funding given by the U.S. Department of Education to improve public schools. Supermarket chain Best Yet Market opens a location in Harlem. City University of New York (CUNY) students across the city protest against proposed budget cuts made by the state. Percussionist Lester Jenkins dies. Harriet Tubman Day is celebrated in Brooklyn. A groundbreaking ceremony with praise and protest is held for the Barclays Center at the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn. The stadium is scheduled to be completed in 2011 and there are plans to bring NBA team the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn. Residents in Harlem rally to prevent service cuts to Riverbank State Park. The state’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation claims that the budget cuts to close state parks are needed. A nor’easter blows through the city bringing four inches of rain and winds up to 65 mph. The storm topples trees and creates widespread power outages. The family of NYPD shooting victim Sean Bell file a civil suit against the city. President Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act into law. The Association of Community Organizations Refrom Now (better known as ACORN) disbands after 40 years. First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia make an impromptu visit to Harlem to tour the Apollo Theater. In an 11-2 vote the MTA board votes in favor to make several cuts to bus and subway service in order to fill its $800 million budget gap. The United Negro College Fund celebrates its 66th anniversary.
April
New York State loses the Race to the Top competition. Mayor Bloomberg and teachers union leader Michael Mulgrew put the blame on one another for the loss in much needed funds for public education. Longtime ITALAmNewsITAL staffer Hattie Doran passes at age 68. The NAACP kicks off its “Yes We Count” campaign, aimed to get Blacks to take part in the 2010 Census as the tabulation begins. Sen. Eric Adams launches a billboard campaign urging people to stop wearing sagging pants. Harlem entrepreneur Claude Sharrieff Frazier dies at age 84. Upstate businessman Carl Paladino announces his candidacy in the New York gubernatorial race under the Republican Party with Tea Party support. He is deemed controversial because of racist comments he’s made as well as racist e-mails he has transmitted. Harlem School for the Arts is threatened to close due to lack of funding. A suspected “flash mob” breaks out on Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan, resulting in 33 arrests and four people being shot by BB guns. A revival of the August Wilson play “Fences” opens on Broadway, starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis. Adam Clayton Powell IV announces his candidacy to unseat Rep. Charlie Rangel as the midterm elections get underway. Civil rights leader Benjamin Hooks dies at age 85. Gov. Paterson introduces his minority- and women-owned (MWBE) business bill to make state agencies and public authorities accountable for diversity in procurement. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network hosts its 12th Annual Conference. Hip hop pioneer Guru dies at age 48. Five-year-old Syniah Herndon survives after being shot in the leg during a daytime shootout in Brooklyn. State Sen. Pedro Espada, Jr. is formally sued by State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo for siphoning $14 million from Soundview Health Clinic for personal expenses. NNPA publisher Lenora Carter dies at age 69. Harlem School of the Arts is saved after donations are made to prevent the school from closing. Mayor Bloomberg decides to comply with a state law that charges homeless New Yorkers 44 percent of their income to stay in shelters. The Deepwater Horizon oil rig owned by BP explodes in the Gulf of Mexico, killing 11 workers and causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. In the aftermath, environmental concerns arise and the oil affects the economy of the gulf coast. President Obama makes a stop in the city to lay out a plan for financial reform. Civil rights icon Dorothy Height dies at age 98. Arizona passes the controversial Support Our Law Enforcement and Safe Neighborhoods Act. The law mandates law enforcement to arrest those suspected of being illegal immigrants based on basic characteristics. Rumors swirl that box retailer Wal-Mart has plans to build its first store in the city in Brooklyn. After 161 years, St. Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan closes due to financial difficulties.
May
Police defuse a car bomb found in Times Square during the early morning hours. Vendors and Black Vietnam veterans Duane Jackson and Lance Orton find the bomb, which could have caused mass deaths in the area if detonated. Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistani Taliban, confesses to the crime. At the New York Stock Exchange, a “flash crash” occurs, temporality lowering the Dow Jones Industrial average 1,000 points. Harlem Children’s Zone announces that it will build a charter school in the St. Nicholas housing project. The school is slated to open in the fall of 2011, at a cost of $100 million. In the wake of the controversial immigration law in Arizona, Gov. Paterson creates a five-member Special Immigration Board of Pardons. Newark, N.J. police officer Angel Pared is indicted for allegedly beating 15-year-old Travis Rattray. Seven-year-old Aiyana Stanley Jones is shot and killed by police during a raid in Detroit. The incident draws national attention, leading to a request to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a federal investigation. President Obama nominates Elena Kagan to be the next Supreme Court justice, replacing retiring Justice John Paul Stephens. The ITALVillage VoiceITAL releases secretly collected recordings of NYPD officers from Brooklyn’s 81st Precinct in Bed-Stuy targeting people of color for stop-and-frisks. Officer Adrian Schoolcraft collects the recordings. Commanding officer of the precinct, Deputy Inspector Steven Mauriello, is later transferred to the Bronx Transit Bureau. Legislators approve Gov. Paterson’s request for furloughs in an emergency spending bill, forcing 100,000 state workers to take one unpaid day off a week. Famed entertainer and activist Lena Horne dies at age 92. Mayor Bloomberg releases the 2011 executive budget that calls for the laying off of 6,400 teachers. New Jersey governor Chris Christie announces plans to remove the state’s only Black Supreme Court judge, John Wallace, and replace him with a white female, Anne Paterson. In New York State’s attempt to get federal money for the Race to the Top, lawmakers raise the charter school cap. Katie Washington becomes the University of Notre Dame’s first Black valedictorian. ITALAmNewsITAL publisher Elinor Tatum marries journalist Curtis Simmons. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announces he will run for New York State governor as the Democratic candidate. Political consultant Basil Smikle announces he will run against Bill Perkins in the Harlem state senate race. In Texas, new guidelines in school curriculum downplay the role of civil rights in America.
June
New York State Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo names Rochester mayor Robert Duffy as his running mate. Protests in the city are sparked by the attack of Israeli Navy commandos on a humanitarian flotilla bound for Gaza. Lawmakers raise the cap on the number of charter schools in the state from 200 to 460 in an effort to get federal money for schools from the Race to the Top competition. The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics at the 2010 NBA Finals. Fans celebrate the first anniversary of the death of Michael Jackson. Actor Gary Coleman dies at age 42. Posters along Flatlands Avenue depicting a white man holding a noose around a Black man’s neck and hanging him outrage Brooklyn residents. After protest from the NAACP and the East New York Crisis Team, the posters are quickly taken down. One year after the “friendly fire” shooting death of Black NYPD officer Omar Edwards by a white fellow officer, Gov. Paterson’s Police-on-Police Shootings Task Force releases a report and recommendations to prevent similar incidents. The 2010 FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa. Spain wins the month-long soccer tournament watched around the world. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) announces the largest assignment to an MWBE, with the selection of M.R. Beal & Company as senior manager and sole bookrunner on DASNY’s $1.3 billion Personal Income Tax bond issue. Football star Emmitt Smith announces that his company, E. Smith Legacy, plans to build a $80 million Hyatt hotel in a vacant lot on 125th Street and Lenox Avenue. The Schomburg Center hosts a tribute to Michael Jackson as part of its 85th anniversary celebration. In a 29-to-1 vote, Community Board 1 votes in favor of putting Park51, a 13-story Muslim community center and mosque, blocks away from the World Trade Center site. The vote begins a heated debate in the city and the nation about the placement of the mosque. With the state budget two months overdue, State legislators approve $775 million in cuts in the health care budget. Black politicos attend a meeting called by Rev. Al Sharpton about gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo’s all-white ticket. Bronxdale Houses is renamed Sonya Sotomayor Houses after the Latina Supreme Court justice who grew up there. At the 64th Tony Awards the musical “Memphis” wins Best Musical and “Fences” wins for Best Revival of a Play. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis earn Best Performance by a Leading Actor and Actress awards for their work in the play. Bill T. Jones wins his second Tony for his choreography of “Fela.” City Councilman Charles Barron announces his run for governor under his newly formed Freedom Party. The National Urban League hosts its centennial national conference in Washington, D.C. Following persistent protest and rallying, student MetroCards are saved after the MTA, Gov. Paterson and the city come together and reach a deal. Roman Catholic nun Sister Mary Celine Graham is hit and killed by a minivan that was being chased by the police in Harlem. The Apollo Theater hosts a tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Juneteenth is celebrated at various events across the city. An event for the holiday at City Hall hosted by City Councilman Charles Barron features actress Ruby Dee as the keynote speaker. The National Newspaper Publishers Association, which is made up of the nation’s Black newspapers, celebrates its 70th anniversary in the city with a four-day conference. Facing bankruptcy, North General Hospital in Harlem announces it will close. The state senate passes a resolution on behalf of the Central Park Five.
July
As the deadline passes, the state has still not approved the budget. NYPD officer David London is acquitted after being caught on surveillance tape beating Iraq War veteran Walter Harvin in the lobby of an Upper West Side housing project in 2008. George Baldwin, brother to James Baldwin, dies at age 82. Summer weather heats up in the city with record temperatures reaching the triple digits. Residents pack public pools to beat the heat. The U.S Justice Department files a lawsuit against the state of Arizona seeking an injunction on the state’s immigration law, claiming it illegally intrudes on federal prerogatives. An abandoned and rundown park in the Brooklyn neighborhood of East New York is remodeled and renamed after the late Officer Robert Venable, who was shot and killed in the line of duty by drug dealers in 1987. Former Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Officer Johannes Mehserle is found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the 2009 shooting death of Oscar Grant, which sparked outrage across the nation. Grant was handcuffed and shot in the back during the incident. Retailer Target opens its first Manhattan store in East Harlem. Luix Overbea, journalist and NABJ founding member, dies at age 87. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner dies at age 80. During the same week Yankees and New York Giants announcer Bob Sheppard dies at age 99. Gov. Paterson signs legislation prohibiting the NYPD from keeping a database of the names of those stopped and frisked by the police who are later not charged. Black U.S. Department of Agriculture official Shirley Sherrod is put in the spotlight after a heavily edited taping of statements she makes that are considered racist surfaces on the Internet and broadcast on Fox News. Civil rights leaders attack her but later retract their criticisms after it is revealed the tape was doctored. The NAACP hosts its national convention in Kansas City, Mo. After 86 days the BP oil spill is successfully capped. A bipartisan, four-member investigative subcommittee of the House Ethics Committee indicts Rep. Charlie Rangel with 13 counts of violating House rules and federal laws. Gov. Paterson is cleared of wrongdoing when Chief Judge Judith Kaye recommends that no criminal charges be brought against him in the case involving one of his top aides in a domestic violence incident. Huntsville, Ala. native Antoine Dodson is put in the national spotlight after he does an animated interview for a local news station after a man breaks into his home in an attempt to rape his sister. His video is turned into a song using Auto-Tune called “Bedroom Intruder” and makes him an overnight sensation when his video becomes one of the most viewed on YouTube.
August
As Haiti continues to recover from the devastating earthquake, hip-hop performer and Haitian native Wyclef Jean makes a bid to run for president of the island nation. However, he is deemed ineligible after not meeting the requirement to be a resident of the country for five years. After a copper-gold mine in Chile caves in, 33 men are trapped. The World Health Organization declares the H1N1 influenza (also known as swine flu) pandemic is over. The city agrees to pay $7 million in a settlement to the family of Sean Bell and his two friends after they file a federal lawsuit seeking compensation for the NYPD’s role in his death. The State Senate passes New York’s budget 125 days past the deadline. Several bias attacks occur on Staten Island against Latino residents. The city’s Landmarks Preservation Commission votes in favor to build the controversial Park51 mosque two blocks north of Ground Zero. Louis Soto, 21, is killed in Harlem when NYPD officers respond to a fight between Soto and another man at a party. After the other man pulls a gun on Soto and then turns the gun on the police, officers shoot 46 rounds, shooting Soto five times and killing him. The NYPD releases statistics indicating crime is up. One of the worst areas is Brownsville, Brooklyn, which sees 61 shootings and 76 victims in the first half of the year. A judge rules that tests given by the FDNY are unfair to minority candidates resulting in an injunction preventing the hiring of 300 applicants who were offered positions. The U.S Senate votes against a supplemental war bill that includes $1.25 billion settlement for Black and Native American farmers who were victims of racial discrimination. The 36th Harlem Week is celebrated. Charles Barron’s Freedom party gains momentum when the party attains the 43,000 signatures needed to get on the ballot for the November elections. Jazz great Abbey Lincoln dies at age 80. Former employees of St. Vincent Hospital file a lawsuit claiming misuse of funds resulting in the hospital’s closing. The Board of Elections begins holding workshops across the city educating New Yorkers about the new voting machines. The new machines allow New Yorkers to cast their votes by paper ballot and scanning. Rep. Charlie Rangel celebrates his 80th birthday. Black Orthodox Jew rapper Yoseph Robinson is shot and killed during a robbery at a Brooklyn liquor store. The MTA proposes fare hikes that include raising monthly MetroCards to $130. A report by the Schott Foundation for Public Education reveals that 75 percent of Black males in New York State fail to graduate high school. Elena Kagan is sworn in as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. The last U.S. combat troops leave Iraq as President Obama declares an end to combat operations in the Iraq War. New York State wins in the Race to the Top competition, giving nearly $700 million to the state’s public school systems. Rev. Al Sharpton leads a gathering of thousands in the “Reclaim the Dream” rally in Washington, D.C. celebrating the 47th anniversary of the March on Washington led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1963. Black TV journalist Harold Dow dies at age 62. Queens City Councilman Thomas White, Jr. dies at age 71 of cancer.
September
The 43rd Annual West Indian Day Parade is celebrated in Brooklyn with an attendance of over two million people. Due to new city ordinances, the parade route is shortened. Several labor unions, civil rights groups and other organizations gather to gear up on Wall Street for the One Nation Rally in Washington, D.C. Plans to move the Harlem YMCA to 125th Street and Lenox Avenue are scrapped after the organization claims that it wasn’t able to get the funds needed for the project to move forward. The ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks is commemorated, however, protests and controversy over the proposed Park51 mosque near Ground Zero cloud the anniversary. Oprah Winfrey kicks off the 25th and final season of her daytime talk show. Florida Pastor Terry Jones gets national attention when he threatens to burn the Koran but later decides not to proceed with the act. In attempt to stop community violence, several organizations join together in the Tsunami of Peace rally with convoy of hearses and coffins traveling across the five boroughs. The all-Black and Latino male public high school, the Eagle Academy for Young Men, opens a new state-of-the-art facility in the Bronx. The midterm primary elections, with Congressman Charlie Rangel winning his reelection bid and Eric Schneiderman getting picked for attorney general. In a surprise move, upstate businessman Carl Paladino is picked as the Republican candidate in the gubernatorial race against Democratic candidate Andrew Cuomo. In total, seven candidates are in the running for New York State governor, including Charles Barron of the Freedom Party, Jimmy McMillan of the Rent is Too Damn High Party and former madam Kristen Davis. The primary elections also test the new electronic voting system, which winds up lacking. Several polling sites open late, voting machines malfunction and poll workers are untrained. Brooklyn jazz venue Sistas’ Place celebrates 15 years. The city rejects a judge’s proposals to improve hiring practices in the FDNY to hire more Black firefighters, deeming them to be illegal, race-based quotas and delays the hiring of 300 firefighters. Atlanta-based mega church minister Eddie Long of the New Birth Missionary Baptist Church is put in the national spotlight when he is sued by four young men accusing Long of molesting them when they were teenagers. Long, who is married with four children, is known for his homophobic religious teachings and denies the allegations. A severe storm that produces two tornadoes blows through the city causing major damage across the five boroughs, resulting in downed trees, massive power outages and the death of a woman who is killed on the Grand Central Parkway when a tree crashes onto her car. The 41st Annual African-American Day Parade takes place in Harlem. Gov. Paterson appoints Carra Wallace as the state’s first chief diversity officer. The Whitney M. Young Urban League Classic takes place at the New Meadowlands Stadium with Morgan State University beating Howard University 20-3. The Joy Fellowship Christians Assemblies in the Bronx mourns the loss of its pastor Bishop Simon White and five congregants, killed in a car accident on the New York Thruway. Andrew Cuomo is criticized for not reaching out to Black voters during the governor’s race. While making an appearance in Harlem, the Democratic candidate is heckled by members of Charles Barron’s Freedom Party. Harlem’s Bread and Roses High School is renamed the Percy Sutton Education Complex.
October
The One Nation Working Together Rally takes place in Washington, D.C. Liberals and progressive organizations put the rally together, which brings close to 200,000 people to the National Mall. Cheyenne “Canela” Baez, 17, is fatally gunned down in Harlem, sparking anti-violence protests. Several lawsuits are filed against big banks due to mishandling of important lending documents. The lapses result in the stopping of foreclosure proceedings and the review of past evictions in 23 states. The world watches as the 33 miners trapped underground for 69 days after a Chilean copper-gold mine caves in are rescued, as they are pulled up one by one. The Department of Education releases report cards for elementary and middle schools. Media favorite charter school Harlem Children’s Zone/Promise Academy receives a grade of C. Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi commits suicide by jumping off of the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and another student record him having sex with another male. Several suicides of young Black gay men also occur, including Raymond Chase and Joseph Jefferson. The incidents spark a national conversation on bullying. The Brooklyn State Office Building is renamed after the trailblazing late congresswoman Shirley Chisolm. Police shoot and kill 24-year-old, emotionally disturbed Emmanuel Paulino in Inwood after police say he lunged at them with a pocketknife. ITALAmNewsITAL Publisher Elinor Tatum and journalist husband Curtis Simmons welcome the birth of their first child, Willa Evelyn Tatum Simmons. The musical “The Scottsboro Boys” opens on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre. The musical is highly criticized for its racist and comedic depiction of the historic events. Medgar Evers College opens its new science facility. Gov. Paterson unveils an initiative petitioning the USDA to ban food stamp purchases of high-sugar beverages like soda. The much-anticipated gubernatorial debate takes place at Hofstra University, with all seven candidates on stage. Candidates Jimmy McMillan, Kristen Davis and Charles Barron bring a special flare to the debate. In what is believed to be one of the most heinous anti-gay crimes ever, a total of 10 men, believed to be part of the Latin King Goonies, are arrested in the Bronx for allegedly attacking and torturing four gay men in a house for several hours. The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York hosts iTs 25th annual conference in Albany. Cuban-American CNN anchor Rick Sanchez is fired after making questionable remarks about Jews on a radio program. City Councilman Charles Barron celebrates his 60th birthday. Black college student and athlete Danroy Henry dies when he is fatally shot by police at Pace University. Police say he was attempting to mow them down with his car while witnesses say he was moving his car from a fire lane. CNN airs its latest installment of the “Black in America” series, titled “Almighty Debt,” focusing on finances in the Black community. Musical artist Prince announces the launch of his Welcome 2 America tour. The guitar he plans to use on the tour will be auctioned off with the proceeds going to the Harlem Children’s Zone. A week before the general election, Andrew Cuomo releases his urban agenda after an aggressive push from ITALAmNewsITAL.
November
On Election Day, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo is elected 64th governor of the State of New York, trumping Republican and Tea Party darling Carl Paladino. Bob Duffy is elected Lt. Governor, Tom DiNapoli is elected Comptroller and Eric Schneiderman is elected Attorney General. Despite House of Representatives charges of ethics violations, Rep. Charlie Rangel is overwhelmingly reelected to serve in Congress. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer retain their seats in the U.S. Senate with big winning margins. In the State Senate, Republicans claim a 32-30 majority, gaining two seats. Nationally, Democrats keep control of the U.S. Senate but Republicans gain six seats, while the GOP takes control of the House of Representatives. Charles Barron’s Freedom Party fails to win enough votes to become a recognized political party, but Barron and the party vow to press forward. In the wake of City Councilman Thomas White’s death, a special election is held to fill his spot on the city council. Candidates include Nicole Paultre Bell, widow of the police murder victim Sean Bell. However, she loses to Queens Democratic Party favorite Ruben Wills. New York City voters also vote to bring back term limits for city officials. Deval Patrick is reelected as governor of Massachusetts and will be the only U.S. Black governor in 2011. Protests occur outside of the Broadway’s Lyceum Theatre in an effort to close the controversial musical “The Scottsboro Boys.” In a shocking move, Joel Klein leaves his post as city public school chancellor and is replaced with Hearst Publications former chairwoman Cathie Black by Mayor Bloomberg. Known as a business-savvy publishing giant, she receives harsh criticism because of her complete lack of educational experience. Black receives a waiver from the state to serve on the condition that she have a chief academic officer serving along side her. Several protests are organized and lawsuits are filed to block her from getting the job. Journalist Errol Lewis is named host of NY1 political show “Inside City Hall.” Protest ensue in California as former Bay Area Rapid Transit Officer Johannes Mehserle is given a two-year prison sentence for killing unarmed Black male Oscar Grant. Dr. Khalil Muhammad is tapped to head the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, replacing longtime center head Howard Dodson. Rep. Charlie Rangel’s formal ethics trial begins, and he walks out at the start of the hearing, citing being unable to afford legal representation. Within three days he is convicted on 11 of the 13 charges against him and the committee recommends a sanction of censure for Rangel. WikiLeaks releases more than 250,000 American diplomatic cables, including 100,000 marked “secret” or “confidential.” Black and Native American farmers receive a $1.2 billion settlement in discrimination claims made against the Department of Agriculture.
December
After much opposition and protest, it is announced that the controversial Broadway musical “The Scottsboro Boys” will close. New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers President Fernando Mateo, who is of both Black and Latino decent, advocates the need for cab drivers to use racial profiling as a means to select passengers after a Latino man shoots and injures a livery cab driver in Southeast Queens. The U.S. House of Representatives passes a bill extending tax cuts for families making under $250,000 but raises taxes on families making more than that amount. The U.S. Senate rejects the bill two days later. The New York City Board of Elections announces that nearly 200,000 votes weren’t counted during the general election. The discrepancy does not change the results of any races. The House of Representatives passes the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act but the U.S. Senate does not. The State Senate votes against a plan put together by New York City Off-Track Betting, creditors and other collaborators resulting in the layoff of 1,000 employees. Doctors at Harlem Hospital threaten to strike as the hospital transitions its employer from Columbia University to Physicians Affiliate Group of New York. Doctors say they will not get the same benefits they did while working for Columbia, which included reduced and free college tuition for their children. Opposition ensues over the possibility of Wal-Mart coming to East New York, Brooklyn. Opponents say the big box store is not unionized and does not pay its workers enough. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. opens the Aloft Hotel in Harlem. It is the first hotel in the area in over 40 years. Governor David Paterson courts potential controversy on his way out of office after commuting the sentence of John White. White, 56, was serving a four-year sentence for the killing of 17-year-old Daniel Ciccicaro, Jr. after a confrontation that involved the late Ciccicaro, Jr. and his white teenage friends shouted racial epithets at White’s teenage son and White in front of White’s home. In a December 23 statement, Paterson says, “Our society strives to be just, but the pursuit of justice is a difficult and arduous endeavor. … My decision today may be an affront to some and a joy to others, but my objective is only to seek to ameliorate the profound suffering that occurred as a result of this tragic event.” A blizzard makes its way through the five boroughs the day after Christmas resulting in almost two feet of snow around the city. A seemingly underprepared sanitation department leaves many streets unplowed for close to a week. Mass transit comes to a standstill and flights out of John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia and Newark Airports are cancelled for several days. As of result of the chaos in the blizzard’s aftermath, and Mayor Bloomberg’s failure to call a weather emergency, his reputation as a crisis manager and his stewardship of the city come in question, even from some of his most ardent supporters. “The world has not come to an end,” says Bloomberg the day after the storm. “This city is going fine.” To some, it finally reveals to the rest of the city what his opponents claimed all along: that Bloomberg can’t relate to the average New Yorker. In one of the many major bills approved by a lame duck Congress, both chambers pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health & Compensation Act on December 22. The bill is designed to provide healthcare for first responders at Ground Zero in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Congress is set to contribute $4.2 billion over five years for the bill. Before the bill’s passing, 9/11 first responders did receive health care, but funding was discretionary from year to year. Many first responders have faced serious health issues and some have died as a result of their exposure to toxins following the terrorist attack. The music world suffers two major losses as the “Ivory Queen of Soul” Teena Marie passes away in her home Saturday at the age of 54. According to pre-autopsy reports, grand mal seizure may have led to her death. Marie, who made soul/R&B radio staples like “Square Biz,” “I Need Your Lovin’,” “Ooo La La La” and her duet with Rick James “Fire and Desire,” broke barriers as one of the few white soul singers to be wholly embraced by Black audiences. Outside of her one hit with white listeners, 1984’s “Lovergirl,” Marie’s audience was predominantly Black. Adding to the heartbreak in music is the death of Bernie Wilson, the baritone voice of Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes. Wilson passes away in his Voorhees, N.J. home at the age of 64 of a stroke and heart attack. With Wilson and Teddy Pendergrass passing in the same year, it leaves Lloyd Parks as the sole surviving member of the Philadelphia soul sound pioneers.