Year in Review: 2008

Here’s 2008 in a nutshell, clockwise from the top: Barack Obama (addressing New Hampshire voters during a January campaign event) and Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (all smiles as he hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy during the C’s championship celebration in June) both told anyone who would listen that a change was going to come — then followed through. Patti LaBelle packed the Citi Wang Theatre for the city’s 25th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration by letting her voice soar. Gov. Deval Patrick told tens of thousands in Denver at the Democratic National Convention in August that longtime friend Obama was the right choice to lead the U.S. to “renew the American dream.” A crew of biker “Divas” (from left: Aj Coffee, Elaine Thomas, Jan Emanuel-Costley, Cynthia Marcy and Michelle Hampton) made a pit stop in Everett this past July, looking fierce on a 6,300-mile road trip to raise cash for finding a cure for breast cancer. Across the world, bile from a contested December 2007 election in Kenya spilled over into January, leading to riots that had protestors running from tear gas in Nairobi’s Kibera slum. Multiple clashes that followed the political dissent killed hundreds and displaced over 100,000, reminding observers of the all-too-real human costs of disagreements in the corridors of power. And here in Boston, nearly 4,000 walkers from New England logged miles for miracles along the Charles River at NSTAR’s Walk for Children’s Hospital Boston in June. At the event, which has raised millions for patient care, research and community health programs, two children playing with bubbles reminded everyone why they laced up their sneakers in the first place.

Photograph credits, clockwise from the top: AP photo/Stephan Savoia, Photo courtesy of Children’s Hospital Boston, Amanda Montgomery photo, AP photo/Darko Bandic, Tony Irving photo, Daniela Caride photo, AP photo/Paul Sancya

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