Author Archives: William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

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About William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

William Eric Waters is an award-winning poet, fiction writer, essayist, educator, criminal-justice scholar, and nonprofit executive. Writing as William E. Waters, he is the author of the epic poem Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass and three poetry collections: Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats, The Black Feminine Mystique, and The Black Blood of Poetry. Under the pen name Easy Waters, he is the author of the novel Streets of Rage and the short-story collection Conundrums: Stories of Law & Justice. His work explores Black history, race, law, punishment, institutional power, accountability, redemption, and resilience.

Those annoying popups (ads)

Posted on May 26, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I was on Ancestry.com doing further research into my roots when I went to print out a Census record, I got the following ad: “Attention Visitors” “For a short time, we are offering visitors a Complimentary Background Check. “Perform discreet … Continue reading →

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The Challenges of Tracing Roots

Posted on May 25, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I previously blogged about tracing my roots back to 1805 and how it’s getting hard to go back further in time because almost all my white ancestors in the South (North Carolina) are not on the tree. One of the … Continue reading →

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“My Lord, What a Morning”

Posted on May 24, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Hard at work on my third book of poetry, tentatively titled, “The Black Feminine Mystique.” It’s a collection of poetry for and about women of color, from myth to reality, from history to my story. Here is one of my … Continue reading →

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From my book, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass — one of my favorite passages

Posted on May 17, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

II On the auction blocks, male and female and even child, bronze bodies oiled and buffed, prepared to be sold like used furniture. Bare black breasts weighed with rough white hands, squeezed like fruit. Teeth exposed, dirty white fingers rubbed … Continue reading →

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“I’ll Always Love My Mama (Part 1)

Posted on May 12, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Today, Mother’s Day, if one turns on the radio one is bound to hear The Intruders’ “I’ll Always Love My Mama,” inspired by one of The Intruders’ (Kenny Gamble) Mama, Ruby. Although the song, released in 1973, didn’t make it … Continue reading →

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“Prison-Based Gerrymandering” and the 3/5ths Compromise

Posted on May 4, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

                The U.S. Census Bureau counts incarcerated individuals at the locations where they are incarcerated rather than at their prior addresses.  This has political as well as economic consequences.                  Most states’ state … Continue reading →

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Roots – Back in 1805

Posted on May 1, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I have been doing some research into my family’s family tree, and I have made it back in time 200+ years! I am back in 1805, and the White people in my family tree are starting to pop up. They’re … Continue reading →

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From “Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass”

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Preamble From slavery to freedom. From pre-colonialism to post-modernism. From revolution to reactionism. From the War for Independence to the Civil War From the slave enlistment bill to Selective Service. From Articles of Confederation to the Confederacy. From agrarianism to … Continue reading →

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About the book — Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass: Remembrance of Things Past and Present

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass: Remembrance of Things Past and Present is about the captivity, exploitation and suffering of Black people in America, and their triumphs. The author, a history buff, took the challenge to look at … Continue reading →

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About the book — Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats

Posted on March 9, 2013 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats is a collection of poetry about law enforcement excesses. Most of the poems were inspired by actual cases from around the country. The author did not set out to compile a collection of these … Continue reading →

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