The end of the year is upon us, and 2019 has been a real one full of drama, cancelations, bizarre crime mysteries and petty rants. With 2020 approaching, we’re not only going into a new year but an entirely new decade! As exciting as that is, there were definitely some moments in 2019 that can stay there because some history just doesn’t need to be repeated. 

Here’s the "do better" roundup of moments that won’t make it on to our New Year’s vision boards.

1. Blackface and Blackface Fashions

In February — Black History Month — luxury fashion brand Gucci decided to drop an almost $900 sweater explicitly depicting a white model in blackface. The move was widely criticized prompting a Gucci boycott by many well-to-do celebrities, and the ill-advised imagery drove a conversation about the lack of diversity in the fashion industry, as the blackfaced turtleneck had to be approved by many decisionmakers before being available for purchase. 

Gucci released an apology promising a commitment to diversity, but honestly, anyone who is unaware of the offensiveness of blackface in 2019 probably isn't all that committed to learning.

In September another blackface incident dominated the web. It came out that progressive — and typically seen as a sensible — hottie Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was photographed wearing blackface on at least three occasions. You really can't trust nobody.

The blackface obsession has been going on for a long time and it's really something that we don't need to carry in 2020.

2. Fighting Petty With Petty

Amanda Seales isn't shy about sharing her opinions. The actor, former VJ, author and host has had a long career and undoubtedly knows a thing or two, which she shares to her almost million followers. But her passionately shared stories — oftentimes directed at people within her personal circle — have increasingly become controversial.

In October, there was a frenzy after she claimed to have been kicked out of a Black Hollywood party she initially wasn't invited to. This motivated one of her Insecure castmates to jump on the timeline. A Black twitter war concerning party etiquette, who is owed space at private parties and just a bunch of general loud noise ensued.

3. President Donald Trump

Presidential elections are in 2020. May we wake up from this never-ending clown show soon enough. God have mercy on our souls.

4. Unsolicited Sexist Advice/Info

Clifford Harris, who we all know as T.I., has transitioned from being a rapper and sometime actor to a self-proclaimed philosopher and $2 dictionary styled as an advocate for the Black community. That's fair enough, but back in November,  he made the outrageous admission that he takes his daughter to the gyno, makes sure she signs the consent form in front of the doctor, and advises the doctor to check his daughter's hymen to ensure she's a virgin. He then took the added measure of bragging about it on a podcast geared toward allegedly empowering women.

T.I. rounded out his shenanigans by appearing on Red Table Talk, another women-led platform deemed  a safe space, to tell the general public that his comments were “misconstrued” and to gaslight his wife.

Narcissism and sexism can be left in 2019, and T.I. needs to do better.

5. Whitesplaining While Black

Kanye West directed his ammunition of controversy toward the Black community this year by suggesting we don't buy land like him, spewing more false comments about slavery and professing his love for Donald Trump. He rounded it out by releasing a gospel album and cozying up to Joel Osteen, (where he wore a suit as opposed to shades and jeans in the Black churches he visited). Kanye will continue to create and do what he feels, but at some point, we have to wake up and believe he is who he's telling us he is.

6. 50 Cent’s Internet Trolling

It's already been discussed how 50 Cent's misogyny and vitriol directed at Black women are usually perceived as simply being petty. This was apparent in his shots at Wendy Williams and Teairra Mari. However, those two women were unsympathetic targets. Most recently, Mr. Cent has gone on to attack his very own employee and Power co-star Naturi Naughton. He apologized for attacking her and then made disparaging remarks again. Not long after, his Instagram was suspended. 50 Cent and his hateful ways don't need to be brought into the new year.

7. Jumping on Social Media Bandwagons 

In a confusing criminal mystery that gripped January headlines, Jussie Smollet found himself assaulted, not assaulted, arrested, set free and let go from his employment. That could’ve been chalked up to having a bad month, if all this hadn't been caused by a falsely attributed hate crime that galvanized the Black community and Black Hollywood. Even the only two Black presidential candidates at the time, Corey Booker and Kamala Harris, threw their support behind Smollet —comparing the attack to an attempt at a modern-day lynching.

The story, though, continued to fall apart or become muddled. The police investigation saw a police chief condemn Smollet before the investigation even began. All in all, the incident damaged several reputations — many of them professional Black persons — and provided fodder for Donald Trump and his band of misfits.

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