A Late Recap of 2020 Events
# Overview
2020 was like no other year in history. Never has a global pandemic like covid-19 taken the world by storm and forced everyone to remain at home. Additionally, the passing of Kobe Bryant marked the passing of a iconic legend, which became a theme of tragic deaths in the wake of covid-19. The black lives matter movement reached an all time high with the George Floyd Protests. Along the theme of tense racial relations was the increased violence towards the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. At the end of the year, President Trump was voted out and Biden/Kamala took over.
# Kobe Bryant's Passing (Jan 2020)
Few deaths in history seemed as poignant as the passing of Kobe Bryant on Jan 26, 2020. It felt like the world came to a standstill with basketball games being postponed and players sitting out. The closest thing in recent history to this would be the passing of the beloved Princess Diana in the 90s.
Kobe Bryant was a generational talent who's best remembered for chasing Michael Jordan in rings and establishing the no-nonsense approach to basketball, which he coined "Mamba Mentality". Shortly after his retirement, he won an Oscar for his short animated film "Dear Basketball", which encapsulated his relationship with the sport he spent his entire life training and dedicated to moving forward.
Along with his daughter Gianna and her other teammates and parents, they were all in the Helicopter that crashed down near Calabasas, CA. It was a cloudy, windy day an ominous day that won't be forgotten anytime soon.
# Black Lives Matter and George Floyd Protests (May-Jun 2020)
In May 2020, a black man named George Floyd (46 yr) was broached by Police in Minnesota and pinned down with a knee on his neck for over 8 minutes before dying. The white officer (Derek Chauvin), was recorded by onlooker's cell phone video, which was posted online and went viral. All the officers involved were dismissed and eventually convicted of 2nd degree manslaughter.
The killing was just another instance of police brutality to the black communities in America and sparked protests and outrage across the country for months.
The Black Lives Matter movement was in full force with news coverage on TV and all internet news outlets. Unfortunately many of the protests became destructive riots with thieves running rampant in all cities due to the pandemic lockdown. In San Leandro, CA a Dodge dealership was broken into and over 70 cars stolen by a large group of people. Next door in Hayward, CA numerous gun stores were looted.
# Attacks on Asian Americans (2020-2021)
While much of the country was focused on the BLM movement of Police brutality against blacks. Ressentment against Asian was brewing in America led by President Trump blaming china for the pandemic labeling it as the "China virus". As the lockdown continued and the casualties increased, attacks on Asians in America increased drastically especially against the elderly and women. This continued into 2021.
# President Trump Voted Out After 1 Term (Nov 2020)
After years as the most polarizing president, Donald Trump was voted out of office by a landslide in favor of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the first female vice-president. Many of Trumps were right wing white extremists, whom propogated racial hate agaist minorities. Unlike other previous Presidents who served 2 terms, Trump was voted out of office after 4 years.