Author Archives: William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

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About William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Award-winning poet, playwright, and essayist. Author of three books of poetry, "Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass: Remembrance of Things Past and Present"; "Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats"; "The Black Feminine Mystique," and a novel, "Streets of Rage," written under his pen name Easy Waters. All four books are available on Amazon.com. Waters has over 25 years of experience in the criminal legal system. He is a change agent for a just society and a catalyst for change.

On this day in American history, August 9, 1961 — James B. Parsons Nominated First Black Federal Judge in Continental United States

Posted on August 9, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On August 9, 1961, President John F. Kennedy nominated James Benton Parsons as United States District Court Judge for Northern Illinois. At the time, Judge Parsons, a native of Missouri and the great-grandson of enslaved people, was serving as a … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 8, 2016 — Ahmed Mahmoud Sues After Arrest for Bringing Clock to School

Posted on August 8, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On August 8, 2016, Ahmed Mahmoud and his family filed a lawsuit against the city of Irvin, Texas, and its school district for an ordeal that had begun nearly a year before. On September 14, 2015, 14-year-old Ahmed, a Sudanese-American … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 7, 1930– Mob of 10,000 Lynches Two Black Men in Marion, Indiana

Posted on August 7, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On August 7, 1930, a white mob lynched Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, Indiana. The two young black men, 18 and 19 years old respectively, had been arrested that afternoon. They were accused of attacking a young white … Continue reading →

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On this day in Amrican history, August 5, 2014 — Black Workers Sue Memphis Cotton Gin for Racial Discrimination

Posted on August 5, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In June 2014, after months of racial discrimination, harassment, and threats from a white supervisor, Untonio Harris and Marrio Mangrum, two African American workers at the Atkinson Cotton Warehouse, filed a federal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 4, 1964 — Bodies of Murdered Civil Rights Workers Found in Mississippi

Posted on August 4, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In 1964, Michael Schwerner, a white New Yorker working with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), traveled to Mississippi to organize black citizens to vote. Schwerner worked extensively with James Chaney, a black CORE member from Meridian, Mississippi. The activist … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 3, 1919 — Race Riots End in Chicago, Illinois, with 38 Dead

Posted on August 3, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

During the Great Migration, Chicago, Illinois, was a popular destination for many black migrants leaving the South in search of economic opportunity and escape from racial violence. The city’s black population swelled from 44,000 in 1910 to 109,000 in 1920, … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 2, 1964 — Claims of Police Brutality Spark Riots in Jersey City, New Jersey

Posted on August 2, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Jersey City Riots began on August 2, 1964, when police attempted to arrest Dolores Shannon, a 26-year-old black woman, in the Booker T. Washington housing project for alleged disorderly conduct. Walter Mays, 34, a black man sitting on his … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, August 1, 1944 — White Philadelphia Transit Workers Strike to Protest Promotion of Black Employees

Posted on August 1, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

As the United States entered World War II, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, quickly became one of America’s largest war production sources. As many as 600,000 workers relied on the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) for transportation to factories and other workplaces. On August … Continue reading →

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On this day in history — July 31, 1919 — White Mobs Set Over 30 Fires in Chicago’s Black Communities

Posted on July 31, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Before noon on July 31, 1919, angry white mobs had started more than thirty fires in the African American residential area of Chicago. Far from an isolated incident, these instances of arson were part of an extended barrage of violence … Continue reading →

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On this Day in History, July 4, 1910 — Jack Johnson Wins Fight of the Century Against “Great White Hope” Jim Jeffries

Posted on July 4, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Jack Johnson, an African American man born in Galveston, Texas, in 1878, began a professional boxing career in 1897. At the turn of the 19th century, boxing was new on the commercialized sports scene and racial discrimination permeated the sport … Continue reading →

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