The Decade of Disruption: Me Too, Black Lives Matter, Donald Trump and More

Before entering 2020, Detroit Today’s Stephen Henderson closes out this year and the decade by taking a look back to reflect on some of the biggest news stories, cultural moments and the people who left us.

The panel includes Crain’s Detroit Business Senior Editor Chad Livengood, journalist and editor Nancy Derringer and political and communications consultant Greg Bowens.

Derringer says Donald Trump is the person of the decade, meanwhile Bowens says it’s the creator of the Bird Scooter Travis VanderZanden.

Livengood says his general overarching rule is that “this has been the decade of disruption.”

He says the last ten years have been about disruptors, both in business and in politics and culture, pointing to “the self-implosion of K-Mart,” the rise of Trump and services like DoorDash, Lyft and Uber. 

Click on the player above to hear the decade-closing conversation.

Top News Events of the 2010’s

• The Detroit Bankruptcy. Bowens says there were a lot of sacrifices made, “this idea that a penny wise and a pound foolish. What are we willing to sacrifice in the name of numbers?”
• The Flint Water Crisis. Derringer remarks that “when you hear about how this happened, that they decided to stick a straw in the Flint River without even the equipment necessary to use the anti-corrosive materials. I mean that’s just appalling.”
• The Election of Donald Trump
• The implementation of the Affordable Care Act
• The rise of youth and social activism, which includes the Black Lives Matter movement, NFL protests, the #MeToo movement, Occupy Wall Street, the March For Our Lives, the Climate Strike and the Women’s March.
• The rise of domestic terror acts and gun violence.
• The legislative action around the nation to legalize the recreational use of marijuana.
• Brexit
• The rise of technology and increasing dependence on smart phones

Henderson also mentions the passing of several notable figures including: Amy Winehouse, Aretha Franklin, John Conyers, John Dingell, Robin Williams, Nelson Mandela, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Prince, David Bowie, Glenn Frey, Gordie Howe, Muhammad Ali, Cokie Roberts, Maya Angelou, Damon Keith, Mike Ilitch, David DiChiera, Whitney Houston, L Brooks Patterson, Anthony Bourdain, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, Tom Petty, Chuck Berry and Bill Milliken.