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.

On this day in American history, August 20, 1619 — First Enslaved Africans Land in Jamestown, Virginia

Posted on August 20, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The stage was set for slavery in the United States as early as the 14th century, when Spain and Portugal began to capture Africans for enslavement in Europe. Slavery eventually expanded to colonial America, where the first enslaved Africans arrived … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 18, 1995 — NAACP Protests Uncovering of “Faithful Slave” Monument

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

On August 18, 1995, the NAACP sent a letter of protest to the Department of the Interior to protest the uncovering of a decades-old monument in Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. In October 1859, white abolitionist John Brown led a raid … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in Amrican history, August 15, 1963 — Nine Years After Brown v. Board, Virginia Teenagers Jailed For Protesting Segregated Public Education

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

On August 15, 1963, thirty-two teenaged protestors who challenged the Prince Edward County School Board’s refusal to integrate their public school system were released from jail. The juveniles had been arrested in two separate demonstrations held in the town of … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 13, 1955 — Voting Rights Activist Lamar Smith Murdered in Mississippi

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

On the morning of August 13, 1955, Lamar Smith, a 63-year-old African American farmer and veteran of World War I, was shot and killed in front of the Lincoln County Courthouse in Brookhaven, Mississippi, while encouraging African Americans to vote … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 9, 1961 — James B. Parsons Nominated First Black Federal Judge in Continental United States

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

On August 9, 1961, President John F. Kennedy nominated James Benton Parsons as United States District Court Judge for Northern Illinois. At the time, Judge Parsons, a native of Missouri and the great-grandson of enslaved people, was serving as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 7, 1930– Mob of 10,000 Lynches Two Black Men in Marion, Indiana

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

On August 7, 1930, a white mob lynched Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Marion, Indiana. The two young black men, 18 and 19 years old respectively, had been arrested that afternoon. They were accused of attacking a young white … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in Amrican history, August 5, 2014 — Black Workers Sue Memphis Cotton Gin for Racial Discrimination

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

In June 2014, after months of racial discrimination, harassment, and threats from a white supervisor, Untonio Harris and Marrio Mangrum, two African American workers at the Atkinson Cotton Warehouse, filed a federal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 4, 1964 — Bodies of Murdered Civil Rights Workers Found in Mississippi

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

In 1964, Michael Schwerner, a white New Yorker working with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), traveled to Mississippi to organize black citizens to vote. Schwerner worked extensively with James Chaney, a black CORE member from Meridian, Mississippi. The activist … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 3, 1919 — Race Riots End in Chicago, Illinois, with 38 Dead

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

During the Great Migration, Chicago, Illinois, was a popular destination for many black migrants leaving the South in search of economic opportunity and escape from racial violence. The city’s black population swelled from 44,000 in 1910 to 109,000 in 1920, … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

On this day in American history, August 1, 1944 — White Philadelphia Transit Workers Strike to Protest Promotion of Black Employees

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

As the United States entered World War II, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, quickly became one of America’s largest war production sources. As many as 600,000 workers relied on the Philadelphia Transportation Company (PTC) for transportation to factories and other workplaces. On August … Continue reading →

Posted in Race, History & American Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment