Category Archives: Uncategorized

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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On this day in American history, August 2, 1964 — Claims of Police Brutality Spark Riots in Jersey City, New Jersey

Posted on August 2, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Jersey City Riots began on August 2, 1964, when police attempted to arrest Dolores Shannon, a 26-year-old black woman, in the Booker T. Washington housing project for alleged disorderly conduct. Walter Mays, 34, a black man sitting on his … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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, 2016 — No Indictment For Police Officer Who Shot Texas College Student

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

On June 8, 2016, the grand jury voted not to indict Brian Miller, a white police trainee, for shooting and killing Christian Taylor on August 7, 2015. Taylor, a 19-year-old black man, was a student and football player at Angelo … 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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