Category Archives: Race, History & American Society

Writing on race, Black history, slavery, segregation, civil rights, white supremacy, racial inequality, historical memory, and the continuing influence of American history on contemporary society.

This day in history — April 5, 1921– Georgia: White Landowner Faces Trial in Murder of Eleven Black Sharecroppers

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

Although slavery was officially abolished in 1865, African Americans continued to be held as de facto slaves in systems of peonage, a form of debt bondage. “Peons” or indentured servants owed money to their “masters” and were forced to work … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 4, 1968 — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Assassinated

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

Thirteen hundred African American sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, went on strike on February 12, 1968, to protest low pay and poor treatment. When city leaders largely ignored the strike and refused to negotiate, the workers sought assistance from civil … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 3, 1851 — Thomas Sims, Escaped Slave, Captured in Boston

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

Thomas Sims, Escaped Slave, Captured in Boston In 1850, the U.S. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which sought to force Northern officials to apprehend alleged runaway slaves and ensure their return to slavery in the South. Any official who … Continue reading →

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This day in history — April 2, 1933 — Reuben Micou Lynched in Winston County, Mississippi

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

Reuben Micou Lynched in Winston County, Mississippi On April 2, 1933, a mob of white men broke into the Winston County, Mississippi jail in Louisville, Mississippi to lynch a 65-year-old black man named Reuben Micou. Mr. Micou had been arrested … Continue reading →

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Confederate Soldiers Fought During the Vietnam War

Posted on March 30, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Did you know that during the Vietnam War, a division of American soldiers was fighting under a Confederate flag?  President Johnson wanted the flags removed.* This is yet another example of the South not conceding that it lost the Civil … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 9, 1892

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

Ida B. Wells’ friends Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Henry Steward are lynched in Memphis, Tennessee, sparking Wells’ lifelong crusade against lynching. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial Injustice – 2018 Calendar. “The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 8, 1655

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

Virginia Colony court rules against John Casor, a black indentured servant who sued for his freedom after being forced to work past his term, and declares him a slave for life. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 7, 1965

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

Supporters of black voting rights marching from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, are attacked by police with tear gas, whips, and clubs; dozens are hospitalized on what becomes known as “Bloody Sunday.” From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 6, 1857

Posted on March 6, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

U.S. Supreme Court in Dred Scott v. Sandford rules that people of African descent cannot be U.S. citizens, are not protected by the Constitution, and have no standing to sue in federal courts. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History … Continue reading →

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On this day in history – March 5, 1842

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

This week, Maryland law provides for punishment of up to 20 years in prison for any African American found with an antislavery publication in his or her possession. From the Equal Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial Injustice – 2018 … Continue reading →

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