Tag Archives: Equal Justice Initiative

On this day in American History, November 6, 1909 — Colored Alabamian Reports Murder of Black Wagon Driver in Alabama

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

In October 1909, a black wagon driver “who did not drive as far to the right as a white man thought he should” was shot dead in Montgomery, Alabama. According to an article in Colored Alabamian magazine, the white man avoided punishment … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history — October 15, 1883 United States Supreme Court Strikes Down Civil Rights Act of 1875

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

In 1875, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which forbade racial discrimination in access to public accommodations and facilities. Over the ensuing years, a number of African Americans sued businesses that denied them access to segregated facilities. In 1883, the … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, October 14, 1958 — District of Columbia Bar Association Votes to Accept Black Lawyers for First Time

Posted on October 14, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Attorneys in the District of Columbia were not required to belong to a professional bar association in the 1950s, but the District maintained several voluntary bar associations that lawyers could choose to join. The Bar Association of the District of … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, October 11, 1995 — Three Brentwood, Pennsylvania, Police Officers Kill Unarmed Black Motorist During Traffic Stop

Posted on October 12, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Jonny Gammage, cousin and business partner of Pittsburgh Steelers football player Ray Seals, was detained during a traffic stop while driving Mr. Seals’s Jaguar in the working-class suburb of Brentwood on the morning of October 12, 1995. According to testimony, … Continue reading →

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This day in American history, October 11, 1944 — United States Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Korematsu v. United States

Posted on October 11, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the United States declared war on Japan. In February 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, authorizing military exclusion of any citizens from areas deemed critical to national … Continue reading →

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On this day in American history, September 19, 1881 — Booker T. Washington Holds First Classes at Tuskegee Institute

Posted on September 19, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

The Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute, now Tuskegee University, was authorized by Alabama House Bill 165 and founded on July 4, 1881. Under the state’s system of rigid segregation, the school was intended to be a state-funded educational institution for … Continue reading →

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On this day in American hisotry, September 16, 1928 — Okeechobee Hurricane Kills Thousands of Black Farm Workers in Florida

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

On September 16, 1928, a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 140 miles per hour made landfall in Palm Beach County, Florida. The hurricane destroyed a levee that protected a number of small farming communities from the waters of Lake … Continue reading →

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On this day in American History, September 18, 1923 — Pennsylvania Mayor Orders Black and Mexican American Residents to Leave

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

Late in August 1923, Mayor Joseph Cauffiel of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, issued an executive order demanding that African American and Mexican American residents who had lived there for fewer than seven years leave town “for their own safety.” As justification, he … Continue reading →

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On this Day in American history, September 15, 1963 — Four Black Girls Killed in Bombing of Birmingham, Alabama, Church

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

In 1963, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church was the largest black church in Birmingham, Alabama. Due to its size and central location, the church served as a meeting place for civil rights activists in the community at a time when … Continue reading →

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On this Day in American history, September 14, 1874 — White Supremacist Militia Overthrows Louisiana’s Elected, Integrated State Government

Posted on September 14, 2018 by William Eric Waters, aka Easy Waters

In 1872, William Pitt Kellogg, a supporter of Reconstruction, was elected governor of Louisiana, largely on the strength of his support among African-American voters. That same year, Caesar Carpenter Antoine, an African American man, was elected lieutenant governor. The electoral … Continue reading →

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