Category Archives: crime

On this day in history, May 23, 1796 — Ad Offers Reward for Return of Runaway Slave to President George Washington

Posted on May 23, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 23, 1796, a newspaper ad was submitted for publication that sought the return of Ona “Oney” Judge, an enslaved black woman who had “absconded from the household of the President of the United States,” George Washington. Ms. Judge … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 15, 1916 — Jesse Washington Brutally Lynched in Waco, Texas

Posted on May 15, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 15, 1916, after an all-white jury convicted Jesse Washington of the murder of a white woman, he was taken from the courtroom and burned alive in front of a mob of 15,000. When he was accused of killing … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 13, 1956 — Four White Men Kidnap and Rape Black Girl in Tylertown, Mississippi

Posted on May 13, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 13, 1956, sixteen-year-old Annette Butler of Tylertown, Mississippi, was kidnapped and gang raped by four white men. Ms. Butler and her family reported the assault and the men were arrested, jailed, and tried for the crime – a … Continue reading →

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May 10, 1740 — South Carolina Passes Negro Act of 1740

Posted on May 11, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 10, 1740, the South Carolina Assembly enacted the “Bill for the better ordering and governing of Negroes and other slaves in this province,” also known as the Negro Act of 1740. The law prohibited slaves from growing their … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 11, 1868 –Convict Leasing Begins in Georgia

Posted on May 11, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

After the Civil War, Georgia and other Southern states faced economic uncertainty. Dependent on enslaved black labor that was no longer available after emancipation and ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, Southern economies struggled to find a new solution. For many, … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 4, 1992 — Worst of Los Angeles Riots Ends

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

The 1992 Los Angeles Riots erupted on April 29, 1992, after police officers who were videotaped beating Rodney King, a black man, during a traffic stop were acquitted of criminal charges. Initially peaceful protests grew larger and turned violent, as … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 3, 1946 — Black Teen Survives Louisiana Electric Chair

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

In 1945, a black sixteen-year-old named Willie Francis was sentenced to death in St. Martinville, Louisiana. Willie was convicted of killing Andrew Thomas, a fifty-three-year-old Cajun pharmacist, and the case revealed many flaws in the state’s justice system: Willie’s jury … Continue reading →

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On this day in history — May 1, 1863 — Confederate Congress Authorizes Enslavement or Execution of Black Troops

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

On December 24, 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis issued orders to the Confederate Army “that all negro slaves captured in arms be at once delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective States to which they belong, to be … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 25, 1959 — Mack Charles Parker Lynched in Mississippi

Posted on April 27, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In what some historians call the “last classic lynching in the United States,” Mack Charles Parker was killed on April 25, 1959, after he was accused of raping a pregnant white woman in Mississippi. Parker, a black man, denied the … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 24, 2013 — Alabama Man Sentenced to Jail for Consensual Homosexual Sex

Posted on April 27, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On April 24, 2013, a Dallas County, Alabama, trial judge sentenced DeWayne Williams to one year incarceration for violating a state law that criminalizes certain types of consensual sex between unmarried partners. Mr. Williams had originally been charged with 1st … Continue reading →

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