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 history — July 31, 1919 — White Mobs Set Over 30 Fires in Chicago’s Black Communities

Posted on July 31, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Before noon on July 31, 1919, angry white mobs had started more than thirty fires in the African American residential area of Chicago. Far from an isolated incident, these instances of arson were part of an extended barrage of violence … Continue reading →

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On this Day in History, July 4, 1910 — Jack Johnson Wins Fight of the Century Against “Great White Hope” Jim Jeffries

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

Jack Johnson, an African American man born in Galveston, Texas, in 1878, began a professional boxing career in 1897. At the turn of the 19th century, boxing was new on the commercialized sports scene and racial discrimination permeated the sport … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, June 9, 1963 –Fannie Lou Hamer Arrested and Beaten in Winona, Mississippi

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

On June 9, 1963, while returning from a voter registration workshop in South Carolina, Fannie Lou Hamer and other civil rights activists were arrested in Winona, Mississippi. Ms. Hamer and the other activists had been traveling in the “white” section … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, June 8, 1966 — Former Klansman Indicted for 30-Year-Old Mississippi Murder

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

On June 8, 2000, Ernest Henry Avants was indicted by a federal grand jury for the 1966 murder of Ben Chester White in Natchez, Mississippi. Avants, James Jones, and Claude Fuller – all believed to be members of the Ku … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, June 7, 1920 — Ku Klux Klan Mounts Publicity Campaign to Attract Members

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

Confederate veterans founded the Ku Klux Klan in Pulaski, Tennessee, in 1865. From beneath white hoods, they terrorized freedmen and Republican politicians with threats, beatings, and murder. They strived to undermine Reconstruction and restore racial subordination in the South. Faced … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, June 6, 1966 — James Meredith Shot During March Against Fear in Mississippi

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

On June 5, 1966, equipped with only a helmet and walking stick, James Meredith began a 220-mile March Against Fear from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi. Mr. Meredith, an activist who had integrated the University of Mississippi four years earlier, organized the … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, June 4, 2011 — United States Census Bureau: Over 1 in 4 Black and Latino Americans Living in Poverty

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

The United States Census Bureau calculates national poverty levels by using a threshold income value set according to family size and composition. In 2010, a family of five earning a combined annual income below $26,675 qualified as “impoverished.” On June … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, June 1, 1921 — White Rioters in Tulsa Leave Hundreds Dead, Black Community Destroyed

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

In 1921, the black community of Tulsa, Oklahoma, enjoyed significant economic prosperity and political independence. Located in the city’s Greenwood District and known as “Negro Wall Street,” it was considered one of the wealthiest black communities in the nation. On … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 30, 1822 — Denmark Vesey’s Rebellion Against Slavery Uncovered

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

Denmark Vesey spent his childhood traveling throughout the Caribbean as an enslaved black servant of a white sea captain, then worked for the captain as a house servant in Charleston, South Carolina. Mr. Vesey eventually started a family, fathered three … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 30, 1943 White Sailors and Soldiers Attack Latino Youth in Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots

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

World War II fueled a population influx into Los Angeles, California, in 1943 that coincided with an increase in petty crime. White residents blamed Latino youth, who often wore distinctive, colorful garments known as “zoot suits.” Many members of the … Continue reading →

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