Category Archives: race

The South Won the War of Northern Aggression?

Posted on June 13, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Imagine a visitor from another planet, say Mars, is touring the Southern states and is in modern day Virginia. The Martian makes its way to Jamestown, which he finds both interesting, and puzzling. It has familiarized itself with 200 years … Continue reading →

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The Black Blood of Poetry

Posted on June 12, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

I am working on my fourth collection of poetry, entitled “The Black Blood of Poetry.” I first came across that phrase in the works of an Eastern European poet, whom I can’t remember, but I remember the phrase because it … Continue reading →

Posted in Lest We Forget, police involved shooting, police-involved killing, race, Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats, Streets of Rage, Urban Impact | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

ABRACADABRA! Or Notes on the War on Crime, Redux

Posted on June 11, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In 1989 I wrote an award-winning essay, “ABRACADABRA! Or Notes on the War on Crime.” In it I mentioned those magic words crimefighting politicians would utter as the solution to the “crime problem”: “more police, more prisons, longer prison terms.” … Continue reading →

Posted in crime, Justice Chronicles, Martin Luther King, police-involved killing, Politics, race, raising black boys, Streets of Rage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Fires This Time

Posted on June 5, 2020 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Last year, 2019, we marked 400 years since Africans were brought to Virginia and America’s “peculiar institution” took root. Since then, in the annals of American history, there has been systematic oppression and brutality against the descendants of Africans in … Continue reading →

Posted in being a teenager, Black patriotism, James Baldwin, Justice Chronicles, juveniles, Lest We Forget, Martin Luther King, police involved shooting, police-involved killing, Politics, race, raising black boys, Relationships, Revolution, Slavery, Streets of Rage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Race factors in reporting of criminal justice”

Posted on October 8, 2019 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In the above referenced editorial, Len Levitt’s “NYPD Confidential” column, he notes a few criminal legal cases where race may or may not have been a factor, and how readers responded.  Ironically, by the responses, you could safely bet your … Continue reading →

Posted in Murder, race, remorse, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Prison Walls v. Love — Review of “Memoirs of a Prison Lawyer/Prison Wife,” by Claudette Spencer-Nurse

Posted on June 25, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Memoirs of a Prison Lawyer/Prison Wife, by Claudette Spencer-Nurse, is a love story.  It is an improbable love story.  It is a love story that has defied the odds.  It is a love story for the ages.  It is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Amadou Diallo, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, crime, Family, Justice Chronicles, Life Sentences, Parole, parole board, police involved shooting, police-involved killing, race, Reentry, Relationships, remorse | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

On this day in history, May 29, 1917 — White Mob Riots in East St. Louis Over Threat of Black Labor

Posted on May 29, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 28, 1917, in East St. Louis, Illinois, a meeting of 3000 white union members marched on the Mayor’s office to make demands about the job competition resulting from the city’s growing African American population. The disgruntled union members … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 29, 1917 — White Mob Riots in East St. Louis Over Threat of Black Labor

Posted on May 29, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 28, 1917, in East St. Louis, Illinois, a meeting of 3000 white union members marched on the Mayor’s office to make demands about the job competition resulting from the city’s growing African American population. The disgruntled union members … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 28, 1830 — Indian Removal Act Forces Indian Tribes to Migrate West

Posted on May 28, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act, which authorized the President to grant land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for the lands of the American Indian tribes living primarily in the southeastern United … Continue reading →

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On this day in history, May 23, 1796 — Ad Offers Reward for Return of Runaway Slave to President George Washington

Posted on May 23, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On May 23, 1796, a newspaper ad was submitted for publication that sought the return of Ona “Oney” Judge, an enslaved black woman who had “absconded from the household of the President of the United States,” George Washington. Ms. Judge … Continue reading →

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