Category Archives: Religion

Black History, Black Bodies, Black Books

Posted on February 5, 2024 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On a recent summer trip to Virgina, where one could argue that it all began in 1619, that is, the enslavement of Africans in what would become the United States of America, I stopped at a Barnes & Noble.  During … Continue reading →

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Pascal’s wager — Don’t bet against God!

Posted on October 8, 2023 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

My morning meditation was on Pascal’s wager.  Blaise Pascal was a seventeenth-century French Mathematician, philosopher, physicist, and theologian.  Pascal’s wager was posthumously published in Pensées (“Thoughts”).  The wager essentially states that if you bet against the existence of God and … Continue reading →

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The King is Dead — Long Live the King!

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

I can’t let this day pass without saying something about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr! In the Decisive Decade (the 1960s), Black leader after Black leader was assassinated, but this is the assassination that made it into my … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, ezwwaters, Martin Luther King, Politics, race, Religion, Revolution, Streets of Rage | Leave a comment

The Little Giant Comes to Harlem

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

Yesterday I uplifted my sister, Jeanette, on International Women’s Day during this Women’s History Month.  Today I uplift three women I work with. More than 15 years ago I met Dawn Ravella.  She was doing amazing social justice work at … Continue reading →

Posted in crime, ezwwaters, Justice Chronicles, race, Reentry, Religion, remorse, Shawshank Redemption, Streets of Rage, urban decay, Urban Impact | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Triumphing Through Levels of Grief

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

Today is International Women’s Day.  During Black History Month and these first couple of days in Women’s History Month, I have uplifted women, mostly women authors.  Today, though, I want to uplift a woman near and dear to my heart, … Continue reading →

Posted in being a teenager, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, ezwwaters, Family, Fatherhood, Fathers, Growing Up, juveniles, Lest We Forget, Mother's Messages, raising black boys, Relationships, Religion, Urban Impact | Tagged | Leave a comment

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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We Be Watchin’ You God!

Posted on March 3, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Their Eyes Were Watching God!  That is one of the greatest and most meaningful titles to come out of the Harlem Renaissance.  And Zora Neale Hurston was one of the coolest women during that era, holding her own with all … Continue reading →

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“My Lord, What a Morning”

Posted on March 2, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On the penultimate day of Black History Month, I participated in a Black History Month Celebration at my church, St. Michael-St. Malachy.  I was asked to recite a poem.  A number of youth were present at the celebration, and even … Continue reading →

Posted in Black patriotism, Black Shadows and Through the White Looking Glass, ezwwaters, Lest We Forget, Poetry, race, Religion, Slavery | Leave a comment

Me and Malcolm X’s Murderer

Posted on February 21, 2022 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

On this day in American history, Malcolm X was murdered.  I was four years of age.  Fourteen years later, I would meet Malcolm X’s killer.  The first thought that crossed my mind: He, Thomas Hagan, is unremarkable.  And then: What … Continue reading →

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This day in history — March 30, 2018 — No Bloody Friday!

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

On this day in history, the Equal Racial Justice Initiative’s A History of Racial Injustice – 2018 Calendar, does not report an incident….  I wonder if racist whites ceased their Reign of Terror against Black people because it was Good Friday?  … Continue reading →

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