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.

The “new” Jim Crow is as old as the Union

Posted on March 7, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Ever have a “Eureka!” moment?  During my legal research in the early 1980’s, I came across something that, beyond a reasonable doubt, confirmed what people had been talking about without much evidence, beyond the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, … Continue reading →

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A Statue for the Unknown Slave Woman?

Posted on March 5, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Today, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’m going to do something slightly different: honor an unknown woman — in fact, unknown women — by sharing a poem from my third collection of poetry, The Black Feminine Mystique. It is … Continue reading →

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Ida B. Wells: The Black Woman Crusader Against White Knights

Posted on March 4, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Ida B. Wells was born into slavery on July 16, 1862.  She was “freed” by presidential proclamation and executive order (the Emancipation Proclamation) issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, during the American Civil War. Ida B. Wells … Continue reading →

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The Three Pillars of American Society: Slavery, Segregation, and Hyperincarceration

Posted on March 1, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

America stands on three pillars: slavery, segregation, and hyperincarceration (incorrectly referred to as “mass incarceration”).  These “pillars” implicate and impact mostly Black people, but also all people living in America or dreaming about coming to America.  In fact, the U.S. … Continue reading →

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Derrick Albert Bell Jr. — The Godfather of Critical Race Theory

Posted on February 18, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Derrick Albert Bell Jr. should be as well-known as Thurgood Marshall.  He was a lawyer, civil rights activist, and professor.  In 1971, he became the first tenured Black professor of Law at Harvard Law School.  From his reputation alone, Professor … Continue reading →

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The Work of Reconstruction Continues. . .

Posted on February 13, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Black Reconstruction in America 1860-1880, by W.E.B. DuBois, is a must read.  One Amazon reviewer wrote, “This book is a great clue to the puzzle of how we got where we are today.”  Indeed, this period would inform the next … Continue reading →

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The Gift that Keeps On Giving

Posted on February 9, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

J.A. Rogers is probably the greatest autodidact in the history of the world!  Not only was Rogers self-taught, but he was also self-financed and self-published.  Talk about self-determination and controlling the narrative! I would recommend any book by Rogers.  Among … Continue reading →

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Reconstruction Revisited

Posted on February 8, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

This book is, for the most part, unknown, even among history buffs, as I am.  (I actually stumbled upon it more than 30 years ago. Someone had placed it among the trash!)  This book though covers one of the most … Continue reading →

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Black Lives Have Always Mattered

Posted on February 8, 2021 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

More than 20 years ago, long before #BlackLivesMatter, I noticed a disturbing trend: almost everyday in the news there was a case of police brutality, mostly against Black people, with a few white people sprinkled in because, even though this … Continue reading →

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Happy Black History Month!

Posted on February 1, 2021 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Today, February 1, 2021, is Black History Month. Before there was Black History Month, there was Black History Week. Actually, then it was called “Negro History Week.” In 1926 (the year my father was born), historian Carter G. Woodson and … Continue reading →

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