Category Archives: ezwwaters

Son of a Native Southern Son

Posted on February 23, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On this day in American history, in 1982, my father passed away, at the age of 56, a week and a day after he reached that age.  I always think of my father as a Native Southern Son.  When I … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, ezwwaters, Fathers, James Baldwin, Lest We Forget, race, raising black boys, Sonny's Blues | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Bigger By Any Other Name

Posted on February 22, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Bigger Thomas, although a fictional character, haunts the imagination of white folk.  Richard Wright’s Native Son, where we meet Bigger Thomas, was published in 1940.  Benjamin Mays, in eulogizing the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 28 years later after … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, crime, ezwwaters, James Baldwin, Justice Chronicles, Lest We Forget, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Murder, race, raising black boys, Streets of Rage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

White Sheets Under Black Robes

Posted on February 19, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Black Robes, White Justice, by Judge Bruce Wright, is one of my favorite titles touching on the criminal legal system!  The title itself speaks volumes.  Bruce Wright was a distinguished New York City Judge and, in light of the current … Continue reading →

Posted in crime, ezwwaters, Justice Chronicles, Lest We Forget, race | Tagged | Leave a comment

“Dying But Fighting Back”

Posted on February 16, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In my last blog I wrote about Langston Hughes, our Harlem Renaissance poet, and his collection of poetry, The Weary Blues, which was published in 1926, the same year my father was born. I want to uplift the works of … Continue reading →

Posted in ezwwaters | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Chadwick Boseman: In Memoriam – Black Panther!

Posted on August 31, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Two years ago, in preparing to deliver a high school graduation commencement address at the Fedcap School in Orange, New Jersey, I researched a number of commencement addresses by pop culture characters and personalities. During my research, I came across … Continue reading →

Posted in being a teenager, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, ezwwaters, Lest We Forget, raising black boys, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Black Blood of Poetry

Posted on August 17, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Over the weekend I got some good work done on my title poem, “The Black Blood of Poetry.” A little more than twenty years ago, a poet-friend, Rachel Wetzsteon, who committed suicide in December 2009, perhaps because she felt too … Continue reading →

Posted in being a teenager, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, crime, ezwwaters, Lest We Forget, Poetry, race, raising black boys, Relationships, Streets of Rage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“The Man Who Cried I Am!”: Celebrating Fifty Years of Life

Posted on August 6, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

It seems like only yesterday when I wrote this piece as I approached a milestone birthday, but it’s been nearly ten years. As I approach another milestone birthday, I am looking to complete my fourth collection of poetry, entitled, The … Continue reading →

Posted in being a teenager, Black patriotism, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, crime, ezwwaters, Growing Up, juveniles, Patriotism, race, raising black boys, Relationships, Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats, Streets of Rage, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “Cancel-culture” Conundrum

Posted on July 24, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

If I hear one more white person say “Cancel-culture…” “Cancel-culture” is the latest buzz term being used by Trumpeteers, including Ivanka Trump, and as with almost everything that comes out of the Oval Office in these times, it’s a false … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, ezwwaters, Lest We Forget, Politics, race, Slavery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“NYPD detective indicted on perjury charges: DA”

Posted on April 25, 2019 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Joseph Franco, a suspended NYPD detective, was indicted for perjury, official misconduct and filing false documents in connection with narcotic cases he was involved in between 2017 and 2018.  As a result of Franco’s perjury and related charges, three people … Continue reading →

Posted in ezwwaters, Justice Chronicles, Lest We Forget, Streets of Rage, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this Day in American History, April 24, 2019 – White supremacist killer of James Byrd Jr. Executed

Posted on April 25, 2019 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Some say it was “one of the most notorious hate crimes of modern times.” James Byrd Jr., a 48 year old Black male, was targeted and murdered by white racists in 1998 in Jasper, Texas. They tied him to their … Continue reading →

Posted in crime, ezwwaters, Justice Chronicles, Lest We Forget | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment