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.

#NationalRacistAnthem (My Favorite Things)

Posted on February 9, 2019 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Blood drops on roses And nooses on niggas Bright copper kettles and boiling some jiggers Brown men and brown women hung up on trees These are a few of my favorite things White-hooded Klansmen and black burning bodies Nazis and … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, November 7, 1931 — Fisk University Dean and Student Die In Car Wreck After Denied Hospital Care Due to Race

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

On November 7, 1931, Dean Juliette Derricotte of Fisk University in Nashville was driving three students to her parents’ home in Atlanta when a Model T driven by an older white man suddenly swerved and struck Ms. Derricotte’s car, overturning … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, November 7, 1955 — U.S. Supreme Court Affirms Ruling Outlawing Racial Segregation in Public Recreational Facilities

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

In Mayor and City Council of Baltimore v. Dawson, African Americans living in Baltimore, Maryland, sued the city’s mayor and city council for maintaining racially segregated, publicly-funded beaches and parks. A federal district court initially dismissed the complaint, holding that the … Continue reading →

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On this day in American History, November 6, 1909 — Colored Alabamian Reports Murder of Black Wagon Driver in Alabama

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

In October 1909, a black wagon driver “who did not drive as far to the right as a white man thought he should” was shot dead in Montgomery, Alabama. According to an article in Colored Alabamian magazine, the white man avoided punishment … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history — October 15, 1883 United States Supreme Court Strikes Down Civil Rights Act of 1875

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

In 1875, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which forbade racial discrimination in access to public accommodations and facilities. Over the ensuing years, a number of African Americans sued businesses that denied them access to segregated facilities. In 1883, the … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, October 11, 1995 — Three Brentwood, Pennsylvania, Police Officers Kill Unarmed Black Motorist During Traffic Stop

Posted on October 12, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Jonny Gammage, cousin and business partner of Pittsburgh Steelers football player Ray Seals, was detained during a traffic stop while driving Mr. Seals’s Jaguar in the working-class suburb of Brentwood on the morning of October 12, 1995. According to testimony, … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, September 19, 1881 — Booker T. Washington Holds First Classes at Tuskegee Institute

Posted on September 19, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, now Tuskegee University, was authorized by Alabama House Bill 165 and founded on July 4, 1881. Under the state’s system of rigid segregation, the school was intended to be a state-funded educational institution for … Continue reading →

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On this day in American hisotry, September 16, 1928 — Okeechobee Hurricane Kills Thousands of Black Farm Workers in Florida

Posted on September 18, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On September 16, 1928, a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 miles per hour made landfall in Palm Beach County, Florida. The hurricane destroyed a levee that protected a number of small farming communities from the waters of Lake … Continue reading →

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On this Day in American history, September 15, 1963 — Four Black Girls Killed in Bombing of Birmingham, Alabama, Church

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

In 1963, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was the largest black church in Birmingham, Alabama. Due to its size and central location, the church served as a meeting place for civil rights activists in the community at a time when … Continue reading →

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On this Day in American history, September 14, 1874 — White Supremacist Militia Overthrows Louisiana’s Elected, Integrated State Government

Posted on September 14, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In 1872, William Pitt Kellogg, a supporter of Reconstruction, was elected governor of Louisiana, largely on the strength of his support among African-American voters. That same year, Caesar Carpenter Antoine, an African American man, was elected lieutenant governor. The electoral … Continue reading →

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